Gemini
by mezzogal
Summary: It's the year 2037. A new generation of Shadowhunters is now on the frontlines, fighting battles of love, loss and finding oneself amid political upheavals dating back to the time of the Dark War, 30 years ago. [Features the children of Jem and Tessa, Jace and Clary, and Magnus and Alec.]
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, thanks for reading my story. I'm very very excited to present this story to you and I hope you like it.**

**This is sort of a continuation of another story I wrote - Voyager (under the Infernal Devices category). I don't think you need to have read that one to understand this, but please do if you have time and love Jem Carstairs.**

**That said, please enjoy Gemini. Please review. :)**

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><p>Jem groaned as he lifted his daughter's heavy box from the truck of the car. Next to him, Mel wrestled out her large red suitcase and eyed her father with some amusement.<p>

"You sure you can handle that, Dad?" she asked.

"I'm good," Jem replied, struggling to get a better grip on the box. "What have you got in here? It weighs a ton."

"Oh, you know, everything and the kitchen sink," Mel teased.

Jem balanced the box and hurried up the path to the little white bungalow, using momentum to propel him. "Lock up the car, will you, honey?" he called.

Mel grinned and slammed the trunk shut. She went round to the driver's side and removed the key to lock up the car before following her father to the house. The front door was open and she could hear Tessa fussing. "You're going to hurt your back! Why couldn't you have just asked me to come out to help you?" Mel heard a small thump as Jem put the box down in her room.

Church, the grumpy Persian cat, was sitting by the door. "Hey buddy," she greeted, reaching to pet him. The cat looked disdainfully at her and then pointedly walked away. "At least you're not attacking me any more," Mel said.

"Mel, it's good to see you. Welcome home," Tessa greeted, coming out from the bedroom area. She gave her daughter a hug.

Mel shyly hugged her mother back. She was a little awkward around her mother because when she was growing up, she was in foster care in London and had not known who her parents were. All this because a Shadowhunter had put a rune on her when she was too young. The effect of the rune was that she turned Forsaken and got epileptic fits when she came into contact with the Shadow world and had to live in the mundane world.

When she was 16, she got hit by a car and was in a coma for nine days. During that time, her soul was sent on a quest where she met the younger version of her father. When she woke up, the fits were gone and she was reintroduced to Jem. He had taken care of her at the hospital, explaining everything that had happened. Because of what they had been through together, she was very close to her father.

Meeting her mother was a whole different story. All her life, Mel had believed her parents had abandoned her. She did not know how to behave around Tessa, who was practically a stranger to her. Tessa too moved around her carefully, as though she were a startled kitten. The first time mother and daughter shared a hug, it lasted less than a second and was so awkward that neither wanted to repeat it anytime soon.

After Mel recovered from the accident, she came to live with her parents at their Los Angeles home. There, she finished high school and entered college, from whence she had just graduated.

Eight years was a long time. While Jem wore each of those years on his face, Tessa still looked exactly the same. She now looked more like Mel's sister than mother.

"It's good to have you back. How was your journey?" Tessa asked.

"It was fine, Mum. It wasn't that long," Mel answered.

"I'm making your favourite chicken tikka masala. I hope you're hungry."

"Thanks, Mum," Mel said. "I'll go wash up."

Tessa smiled, gave her daughter a kiss and wandered back into the kitchen.

"We all missed you when you were away at school," Jem said, coming out of Mel's bedroom and helping her with her suitcase. "Tessa wouldn't admit it, but she did. You should have seen her yesterday and this morning – worrying over getting your room ready, what to have for dinner… Give her a chance, ok?"

"I know, Dad," Mel sighed. "I'm trying." Jem gave her a kiss and left her to unpack her bags.

Mel's room was just as it was during her teenage years. When she first came to LA, her parents had tried to decorate it like a girl's room, with pale pink and white wallpaper and frilly bedspread. Over the years, the wallpaper had become covered with posters of bands and TV shows, and the frilly covers exchanged for dark, solid-coloured sheets. The colourful throw rug still covered the floor, though there were scratches at one corner to show where Church had made himself at home. Wooden blinds covered the large windows, which had a nice view of downtown LA.

The door creaked open and Mel looked up just in time to see Church's tail as he disappeared under her bed. She lifted up the bedspread and was greeted by an irritated hiss. Clearly, Church staked Mel's room for his own while she was away.

Shaking her head, Mel left the cat alone and started unpacking. The clothes were easy to deal with and she hung them up in her closet quickly. Her box was harder. Inside was, as she had told Jem, her life from her four years of college. Books, papers, souvenirs and knick-knacks all packed in as tightly as possible. She was glad Jem had offered to help her move back home; she would never have managed that box by herself. Mel plugged in her headphones and turned the music up loud as she started to unpack.

The room was much messier by the time Mel emptied out the box. With a grateful sigh, she put the box by her door as a reminder to put it out with the rest of the trash. She could smell the spicy scent of curry as she stood by the door and wandered out into the kitchen.

Tessa was there, talking to Jem as the pot of curry simmered. She stopped when she saw Mel come in.

"Smells great," Mel noted.

"Thanks, I was worried it might not turn out well," Tessa said. "It'll be ready soon. I was just going to set the table."

"What were you two talking about?" Mel asked.

Tessa glanced at Jem. "Not too much," he replied. "We were going to Idris in a couple of weeks for the signing of the Accords. We were debating whether or not you would like to come."

"Why are you involved in the Accords? I thought that's Shadowhunter stuff," Mel asked. Idris was the Shadowhunter homeland. As far as Mel knew, neither of her parents had any tie to it – Jem was an inactive Shadowhunter and Tessa was a warlock.

Jem looked a little sheepish. "Well, I was appointed as an adviser to the Council last year…"

"When were you going to tell me that, Dad?" Mel asked in surprise.

"I'm telling you now," Jem replied. "Sorry, honey. I didn't think it would interest you."

"Of course it would! Why did they appoint you?"

Tessa replied to this: "They wanted a Silent Brother originally, but none of them would accept the position. Jem's the only person in history to stop being a Silent Brother so they thought he would be the best alternative."

"It's not just me on the advisory committee. There are others too. Alec Lightwood and Jia Penhallow," Jem added quickly.

"There's no need to be so modest, Jem. It's an honour to be chosen," Tessa chided. Jem smiled and shrugged.

"Am I allowed to go to Idris?" Mel asked. "You know, seeing as I was expelled from the Shadow world as a kid and I'm technically Forsaken."

"You'll be there as my guest," Jem assured her. "I'll not let them expel a daughter of mine again."

"I've always wondered what it was like in Idris," Mel mused. "A whole country that people can't see. It's like Harry Potter come true."

"You'll like it," Tessa commented. "Especially Alicante, the Glass City. It's like a whole different world."

"Well, that's settled then. I'm going," Mel said. "I can't wait."


	2. Chapter 2

**To those brave souls who gave my story a try - thank you very very much! **  
><strong>Please leave a review ok? :)<strong>

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><p>The first thing that Mel noticed as she stepped out of the portal in Alicante was the air. She, Jem and Tessa had just left Los Angeles and arrived at Idris' capital city. Mel had never breathed air that fresh and free from exhaust fumes before. She had grown up in London – the Big Smoke itself – and then Los Angeles with all the traffic and hot desert air. It made her a little light-headed.<p>

Leaving the stone fortress of the Gard was like stepping into another world. Alicante was surrounded by mountains on three sides and the buildings at the outskirts were practically on top of one another. Narrow cobbled alleyways ran between the buildings and a network of canals wound through the city. The glittering demon towers that protected the city gleamed like glass in the sunlight, adding an air of elegance to the old-world feel of the place.

Mel saw the open space of the Brocelind Plain, dotted with manor houses, the dark green of Brocelind forest, and beyond that, tall mountains rising up into the sky. It was winter but because the sun was out, the air was pleasant and cool.

Jem was busy hailing a carriage. Tessa stopped by Mel and laughed as she saw her daughter gawking. "The last time you were in Alicante, you were just four years old," she commented. "This place hasn't changed much. Do you remember?"

Mel shook her head. "It feels like a dream. It's like stepping into one of those postcards of old European villages." She turned round to look at her surroundings more closely. "Are those candles? Isn't there electricity here?"

"No," Tessa said. "Everything runs on witchlight because of the wards around the city. They interfere with modern technology." Seeing her daughter's alarm, Tessa quickly added: "Think of it as unplugging for a while. You'll be surprised at how quickly you forget that you miss modern technology."

Mel raised her eyebrows. "I don't know. Is there at least hot water? We don't have to boil it over a wooden stove, right?"

"There's modern plumbing," Jem informed her, an amused twinkle in his eye. "Actually, you might actually enjoy burning wood instead of central heating." He picked up their luggage bags. "Come on, I've got us a carriage."

Again, Mel was stunned to see that they were riding in a horse-drawn carriage. "This is so unreal," she said as her father helped her and Tessa up.

Jem took his seat next to Mel. "This is how it was when I was growing up in the 19th century. This place often feels like stepping back in time." He stuck his head out of the window and called: "Drive on, please."

The carriage gave a lurch and slowly moved on. Mel refrained from sticking her head out of the window to see the horse, or from bouncing up and down in excitement. The window was not shaded so she could look out and see the sights. Jem pointed some out to her as they passed – Angel Square, with the largest statue of the Angel Raziel in the world; Princewater Canal; and the Accords Hall.

"Where are we staying?" Tessa asked when Jem paused in his commentary.

"Jace Herondale offered to let us stay with them," Jem said. "I suspect it had more to do with you, Tess, than with me and Mel. You know how highly Clary and Jocelyn regard you. The Herondale children will be there too, as well as Jocelyn and Luke."

It did not take too long before the carriage pulled up to a stately manor house. Mel hopped off the carriage, rubbing her eyes to assure herself that she was not dreaming.

She had seen such manor houses on television and in the richest and most exclusive neighbourhoods of LA. It was a three-storey house made of stone, with the main building flanked by two smaller wings. Countless large windows dotted the façade. To top it off was a deep red roof partially covered in ivy, where chimneys poked up at intervals.

Four people came out of the door to greet them. Jem and Tessa greeted them like old friends. Mel was pulled into the mix and introduced to Jace Herondale, Clary Fray, Jocelyn Fray and Luke Garroway. They all entered the house together and, in the gigantic foyer, was introduced to more people – Jace and Clary's children and their friends, most of them about the same age as Mel.

Jace's daughter Maddy was told to show Mel to her room. The older girl did so but affected an air of superiority all the time. Her brother Michael was more friendly. The tall thin young man fell into step next to Mel and peppered her with questions, mainly about the mundane world and what it was like to live there.

Maddy stopped at a door and gruffly said: "Here's your room." She then quickly brushed past them to go back downstairs.

Michael rolled his eyes at his sister and pushed open the door for Mel. It was a room right out of a fairy tale for Mel. A four-poster bed dominated the centre of the room. At the foot of the bed was a dark brown wooden chest of drawers. A small wooden armchair and dressing table was placed at a corner. Across from it was a fireplace, over which hung a simple painting of a city skyline. Cream coloured drapes covered the windows, which were open to let in the fresh air.

"I feel like a princess," Mel muttered. "This can't be real. It's too grand." She entered, put down her suitcase and started to explore the room. A door at the side led to a small en-suite bathroom equipped with a modern shower stall.

Michael laughed. "I've seen grander rooms. You should see the ones in the manors out on the Plain. Opulent is the only word for it. Or maybe garish. Some of the older families like to flaunt their wealth."

"How vulgar," Mel commented.

"Mom decorated the house. Her tastes are simpler, thank the Angel. At least I don't have to cringe in shame when friends come to visit."

"Do you have company over often?"

Michael shrugged. "Sometimes. Just friends from the Academy. No one special."

Mel ignored his last remark. She leaned her suitcase against one of the bed posts and sat down on the bed. It was just the right balance of firm and soft. "So, you're a Shadowhunter. Do you fight demons then?" she asked.

"Yeah. Since I was old enough to hold a blade."

"What's it like? Killing things."

He shrugged again. "It's what all Shadowhunters do."

Mel sensed that he did not want to talk about it. She did not know why but she decided to change the subject. "Are those marks? Or runes, whatever you call them? Dad's told me about them. It sounds like magic."

Michael glanced at the many marks on his arms. "Yeah. A special Shadowhunter magic." He laughed again but it was a little tense. "I've heard about you and your mishap with a rune when you were a kid. Mom says it was my fault."

"Your fault?"

"She always brings it up when I've been reckless," he explained. "She said we were both four and you had fallen and broken your arm or something – the injury changes with each telling. I got hold of a stele and drew an iratze on you and turned you Forsaken. It been a cautionary tale in the family ever since. I never knew your name, until recently, when Mom said you were coming to stay." He paused and looked sheepish. "I can't really remember what happened that day, but I suppose I should apologise. So, sorry. If it weren't for me, you might have been a Shadowhunter too."

Mel got up and went to stand beside him. "Don't worry about it, mate. I can barely remember it myself. Anyway, my dad says it probably would have happened sooner or later since my blood isn't Nephilim enough."

"I still feel a bit bad though," Michael said. "I should make it up to you. How about dinner? One night, before you leave Idris?"

Mel grinned. "Dinner sounds great!"


	3. Chapter 3

There was a party at the Herondale house that evening. All the survivors of the Dark War were in attendance, as well as their children. Everything was very informal and jovial. There was a buffet set out in the kitchen and all the guests helped themselves. After most of them had eaten, they gathered in the sitting room where Jace got up to make a speech.

"Friends, comrades, family," Jace began theatrically. "Thirty years ago, if you asked me to imagine us gathered here, I would have said you were out of your damn mind. We were stuck in the demon realm of Edom on a suicide mission with small hope of returning. Others were facing battle against their fellow Shadowhunters with high certainty of death.

"But, clearly, we all survived and here we are now. Back then, we were all willing to sacrifice everything for one another and we stuck by one another. I look at all of you now and am proud to be able to call each and every one of you 'friend'." He raised his glass of wine. "We've all miraculously managed to lead normal lives in the past 30 years despite all the things we did when we were young and stupid."

"You were young and stupid," Alec Lightwood interrupted. "We were offering good and sensible advice but you were the one who had to take the sensational route. The Angel knows we should have stopped you."

"Ah, but you didn't. You stuck by me. Even when I wanted to take on a horde of demons in their own realm."

"That's cos if we tried anything, you would have burned us with your heavenly fire," Simon Lewis pointed out.

"Even so…" Jace looked like he was going to continue talking or start arguing so Mel slipped out of the sitting room and wandered into the kitchen. There she found the members of her generation huddled around the kitchen counters.

Michael Herondale was engaged in a conversation with Joseph Lewis, son of Simon Lewis and Isabelle Lightwood, and Henry Lightwood, the adopted son of Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane. Maddy Herondale was with the two Lewis girls, flipping through glossy magazines. Next to them, a few Blackthorns Mel knew from the Los Angeles Institute were attacking a tray of leftover chicken, mashed potatoes and chocolate cookies. Mel grabbed a handful of cookies and went over to join Michael.

He grinned when he noticed her approaching and made space for her. "Had enough of my dad's drivel?" he asked.

"Let the old folks reminisce," Mel answered, handing him a cookie. "They seem happy enough."

"Careful, that's my mom and dad you're talking about," Michael teased.

"Mine too," Mel pointed out.

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear: "You wanna head out?"

"Where to?"

"Somewhere cooler than this," he answered. Mel paused to consider. Before she could answer, he whispered: "Go get your coat and meet me in the foyer."

Mel giggled at his cheekiness but did as he asked. In 10 minutes, she was in the foyer clad in her wine-red velvet coat. She had also changed into warm boots. Michael was waiting for her, similarly dressed for the cold. He took her hand and led her outside and round to the side of the house. It was dark and the only illumination came from the moon and stars.

"Where are we going?" Mel asked.

"I thought you might like a midnight ride," he said.

"It's not midnight. And I thought modern machinery doesn't work around here."

"I didn't say we were taking a car."

Mel's curiosity was stoked and she eagerly followed him. They soon came to a low wooden building. Mel smelt it before she saw. "Horses!" she exclaimed. "You can't be serious." Michael grinned at her. "I don't know how to ride. I'll fall off and break my neck."

"No you won't," he assured her. He pulled open the stable door and took out his witchlight. There were four beautiful horses in individual stalls inside, two brown, one white and one black.

Michael selected the white horse and one of the brown ones. He quickly put their bridles and saddles on and led the white horse over to Mel. "This is Cherie. You can pet her if you want," he said. Mel gingerly extended her hand and touched the horse on the nose. Michael laughed. "Come on, do it like you mean it. She won't bite. She's the gentlest horse I know."

Mel stroked the horse properly this time. "She's a beauty," she said.

"Time for you to get on," Michael announced. "Here, hold this." He thrust the reins into Mel's hands, ignoring her stunned expression. He grabbed a wooden bucket from a corner and turned it upside down. "Ok, now, you step up on here," he instructed. He also cupped his hands. "Hold on to the top of the saddle. Put your left foot in the stirrup and your other foot in here. I'll help you up."

Mel gave a shriek when Michael launched her onto the horse. He grabbed her arm to steady her before she toppled over the other side in surprise. "Careful," he grinned. "We don't want you to fall off even before we start." Seeing that Mel was in no danger of that, he went to the other horse and effortlessly mounted it. "You ok?"

"This is awesome!"

"Grab the reins, but don't pull on them. Dig your heels in firmly to make the horse move. She'll follow me."

Mel did as instructed and was amazed when Cherie started moving. She began to laugh in delight. "Michael, this is amazing!" she cried.

As they went along, Michael slowly picked up the pace. Mel did not mind, though the cold night air stung a little at the speed. The sky was extremely clear and the stars were out in all their glory. Here, where there was no electric lighting, it was perfect to see the stars. They rode quietly for a while before Michael pulled up next to her and pointed out two stars that shone brightly – the constellation Gemini.

"The ancient Celts saw those stars not as twins but as two men, Gwythyr and Gwyn, both knights of the Round Table," he explained. "They battled for the hand of a lovely lady in red. Her name was Creiddylad, the most beautiful girl in the British isles. Gwythyr abducted her from her father's house and Gwyn retaliated by kidnapping her from his rival. King Arthur, of course, intervened and an arrangement was made such that the two suitors would engage in single combat to determine who would keep her."

"Who won?" Mel asked.

"Don't know. The two are still fighting it out," Michael said. "Men would do anything for the love of a woman, even fight until the end of time."

"Silly thing to do, I think," Mel said.

"Wouldn't you want two men fighting over you?"

"It's a romantic notion, but ultimately pointless," Mel retorted. "The two men were friends. Even if their fight ends, one will have to die. How would the surviving one feel? That he was the cause of his friend's death. And what if the lady herself had preferred one over the other? In the end, whoever is still alive would feel guilty forever."

"Maybe. But there's something about the idea of loving so intensely that they would lay down their lives."

"Do you always bring girls out on night rides and tell them stories like this?" Mel teased. Michael smiled shyly.

They had almost reached a small wood by then. Mel looked around at the landscape and caught a glimpse of something darting between the trees. It looked like human shapes but not quite human. The creatures had spindly limbs, high foreheads and eerily long fingers. They were clad in brown leather and carried swords and bows. One figure had wings.

She pointed them out to Michael who tensed and motioned for her to be quiet. He stared intently for a while before grabbing the reins of her horse and leading her away. When they had gone far enough, he let go of the reins. "Mel, I want you to come over to my horse and ride with me. We need to get back as soon as possible. We'll go faster this way."

Mel was confused but assented. He pulled her over and ensured that she was safely seated behind him. "We're going to go fast, so hold on tight," he warned.

It was good that he told her for the horse took off like a shot, galloping faster than Mel thought a horse could go. Beside them, the white horse Cherie kept pace, looking like a ghost in the moonlight. Mel wrapped her arms firmly around Michael's waist and concentrated on not falling off. They returned to the stables and dismounted.

"Michael, what's going on? Tell me," Mel demanded, grabbing his hand.

"I'm sorry, Mel," Michael said. "I should have explained. I just wanted to get you back to safety and report to the Clave. Those figures you saw, they were faeries from the Unseelie Court. They shouldn't be here. But they were, and they were armed for war. Something is up and I don't like it. The Clave must be told."

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><p><strong>Hi guys! This is one of my favourite chapters of this story. I hope you enjoyed it too. Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for more. And please review. :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

The Accords Hall bustled with Shadowhunters. The Clave was in session to discuss issues brought up pertaining to the regular reviewing of the Accords.

There were several Downworld representatives present. Their seats were situated on the left of the Hall, separated by an aisle from the Council's seats. Behind these seats were stands where members of the Clave could watch the proceedings and participate if they wished. At the moment, though there were a sizable number of Shadowhunters, there were still plenty of empty seats.

In front, on an elevated platform, were positions for the Consul, the Inquisitor and the newly formed body of the Council advisers. Alec Lightwood, Jia Penhallow and Jem Carstairs were currently present and listening to the proceedings attentively. They played their part mostly behind closed doors, when the Council wished to discuss matters more in-depth. When they spoke in public, their opinions carried weight.

In the empty space between these structures, there was a podium, where speeches were made and examinations conducted during trials. Kaelie Whitewillow, the representative of the Seelie Court, had stepped up to speak.

Kaelie was tall and slim, and had milk-white skin with visible green veins. There was a green tint in her long blonde hair. Her eyes often frightened people for they were blue with no pupils. She had represented the Seelie Court for the last 30 years.

"I address the Shadowhunter Council on behalf of the Seelie Queen," she began. "Thirty years ago, your predecessors laid the penalty upon the Fair Folk for the part we played in the war between the Shadowhunters and Sebastian Morgenstern. These terms were, first, acceptance of the responsibility of loss of life and damage sustained by Shadowhunters and Downworlders in the war, and to pay reparations for it; second, that we take on the costs of rebuilding the broken wards and structures of Alicante and re-establishing the Praetor Lupus; and third, that the Fair Folk disband our armies and lay down our arms, the failure of which is death.

"Thirty years have passed. We have met the first two terms. All reparations applied for have been made. Alicante has been rebuilt. The Praetor Lupus has regained its former stature. And the wards are stronger than ever, protecting the world from demons. Mark Blackthorn has also been returned to you, though he was not our responsibility. On behalf of the Seelie Court, I now ask that the third term be lifted.

"Lives of the Fair Folk have been lost at the hands of enemies because they followed the Council's edict against carrying weapons. The Fair Folk have done what we can to rebuild the trust that existed between us and the rest of the Shadow world. We have been your allies in countless skirmishes and conflicts in these past years. But we too have our enemies. Let us take up our weapons and fend for ourselves once again."

There was little reaction to Kaelie's speech. Following the procedure, Consul Alicia Montclair asked: "Is there anyone present who wishes to respond to Representative Whitewillow?"

Several Council members raised their hands. The Consul picked one, who said: "It is true that the Faeries have fulfilled their side of the bargain in terms of material reparations. I therefore agree with discharging their responsibility for rebuilding after the war. However, I am not convinced that in their minds they have accepted responsibility for their treachery and that they will not turn round and stab us in the back once we allow them to take up arms."

A second Council member agreed. "The Faeries say they need protection from enemies. Well, that is precisely what these Accords are for. Is the Seelie Court suggesting that the Shadowhunters are not keeping up our end?"

"That is not what I said," Kaelie responded. "It is not possible for Shadowhunters to be everywhere at once. The policing of our own land is best done by the Fair Folk, just as the werewolves guard their own packs and the vampires their own covens."

"And who exactly do the Fair Folk need protecting from?" another Council member asked. "Who are these so-called enemies you talk about?"

"Enemies from within and enemies from without," Kaelie said. "The Seelie Court is not the only fiefdom of the Fair Folk in existence. Many others also exist, which I am sure the Shadowhunters know of. But the Seelie Court is one of the richest and most prestigious fiefdoms Under the Hill. Can the Shadowhunters not see the threat we live under?"

"Thirty years have passed and you have not fallen," the Consul pointed out.

"Thirty years is but a second for the Fair Folk," Kaelie answered. "I will not make a guess at how or why we have survived. I am speaking of the future. Mayhap our enemies will attack tomorrow or in 100 years, who can tell? News is spreading that the Seelie Court has been weakened and cannot fight back. This is why you must let us arm ourselves."

"Do any speak for the Faeries?" the Consul asked.

Magnus Bane jumped to his feet. "Thirty years ago, I objected to the disarmament clause. Now, I must express my objection again. It is not peace to treat the defeated side with harshness. Many examples are scattered across history. Let me pick a different one for you. Your own Knight Templars sacked Jerusalem when they defeated the Muslim army. This only bred resentment and anger, which led to further bloody wars and decades of conflict. The Accords were meant to create peace. Let us not mar it by making it a tool to oppress any race of peoples."

Magnus knew it was worthless to argue as the Shadowhunters had always been of one mind on this. But he had to make his stand clear.

Seeing that no one else wished to speak, Consul Montclair rose to make the concluding statement: "This matter has been brought up several times already in the past. Yes, the conditions for material reparations have been fulfilled and will be repealed in the next Accords. However, I agree with the Council – there has not been enough evidence that the Faeries will not turn against us.

"Indeed, we know there is great resentment Under the Hill for these terms, Magnus. It is not our intent to create a conflict. But until the Faeries see why we ask for this, accept our reasons and change their behaviour, they cannot be allowed to rearm. The clause will stand."

The assembly applauded. Kaelie bowed stiffly. "It is a disappointing verdict. If this is the will of the Council then so be it," she said. Her expression was tense. She returned to the other Downworld representatives and took her seat.

"Don't get too comfortable yet, Kaelie," Consul Montclair said. "Another matter has been brought to the Council's attention and it may involve the Faeries."

Kaelie looked surprised at this. Coming down towards the speaker's podium was Michael Herondale. He was tall and thin like his father, but he had his mother's flaming red hair. He was a quiet but commanding presence on the stand.

"Two nights ago," he began, "I was out on a late-night ride with Melissa Carstairs near the edge of Gullion Wood when she pointed out something in the trees. It was a clear night and the moon was out so I was able to see four figures skirting the treeline, darting in and out of the trees. These figures were tall and slim, with greenish skin mottled with brown. I saw thin dragonfly-like wings on at least one figure. The figures wore leather and were carrying bows and swords, armed as though for a fight. I believed them to be Unseelie Faeries and that they had malevolent intent. So I immediately returned and reported it to the Clave."

The Consul added: "We sent a patrol out to the area after Michael reported the sighting and found no trace of these figures. Now, would anyone like to respond to this report?"

There was a burst of activity and several Shadowhunters shouted out at once. "How do you know they were Unseelie? Where is the other witness; let her tell us what happened. What has the Faerie representative to say?"

Kaelie stood up and Consul Montclair gestured for quiet.

"The Seelie Court has no power over the Unseelie," Kaelie said. "Whatever was in the woods was not there with the approval of the Seelie."

"Has there been any news or even rumours of the Unseelie moving against the Shadow world?" Consul Montclair asked Kaelie.

"There have always been rumours of the Unseelie attempting to rise," Kaelie replied. "They are wilder folk than us. We cannot say what they mean to do or not. As of the time I left the Court to come here, the Queen's spies did not report any imminent hostile plots by the Unseelie."

Mel was called on to tell her side of the story. She did the best she could, though it was not much as she did not understand what she had seen at the time. Some Council members asked her questions to clarify some points, but it was nothing she could not answer.

After Mel had testified, the Consul rose to make her statement: "Given the evidence, or lack of it, we will have to assume that whatever happened in the woods was a one-off incident. However, we will keep the matter in mind. Our patrols will continue to be vigilant and I trust that the Seelie Court will keep us informed if the Unseelie are plotting anything."

There was applause again as the attendees agree with the verdict. With that, the Consul announced that there were no more matters for the day and dismissed the Clave meeting.

* * *

><p><strong>Congratulations! You've made it all the way through what I call the "Today in Parliament" chapter. Hugs all round. <strong>  
><strong>More hugs for those who leave a review. ;)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

"You should have told me you were going to appear before the Clave," Tessa chided Mel. "I could have come with you."

"Mum, I'm not a child any more. Anyway, Dad was there," Mel retorted.

Michael had brought Mel back to the Herondale house after the session had ended. When they returned, they found that Tessa had heard all about it. She had pulled her daughter into a spare room and began to tell her off, especially for not telling her about the sighting in the first place.

"You have not been trained as a Shadowhunter," Tessa said. "What if those creatures had attacked you? Michael can't defend you against four assailants. And you can barely ride a horse. You would have been totally vulnerable."

"Mum, quit worrying," Mel urged. "It's over now. Nothing happened. Michael had a good handle on the situation and I trust him."

"You've only just met him!"

"I know, I know. And the last time I saw him he burned a rune into my arm and turned me Forsaken," Mel said exasperatedly. "His record is against him, I know. But he's said sorry. He's not some lunatic killer; he's nice."

Tessa eyed her daughter warily. She had never been close with Mel. Tessa was too good at keeping people at arm's length, and the years apart had significantly lowered the possibility of good quality mother-daughter bonding. In the last eight years that Mel had lived with them, Jem had taken on most of the parenting duties. Tessa had not been prepared to suddenly become the mother of a teenage girl who was used to having her independence.

"Just be careful, ok? Men these days tend to have ulterior motives. You shouldn't really trust those people you've just met. They could get you into trouble and I don't want to see you hurt, Mel," Tessa said.

"I know, Mum. And I appreciate your concern," Mel said. Tessa did not continue the conversation but just gave her daughter a kiss.

Later that day, Mel wandered into the sitting room looking for Michael but found her mother having tea with Jocelyn Fray and Luke Garroway. They were chatting merrily and Mel turned to go, not wanting to interrupt.

"Mel, why are you lurking in the doorway? Come on in," Tessa invited. Mel cringed but came in and sat next to her mother.

"She looks a lot like Jem," Jocelyn commented. "I can't believe it's been so long since you were last in Alicante."

"Did you have a chance to think about the offer I made you the other night?" Luke asked.

Tessa turned to Mel. "What offer?"

Mel cringed again. "Luke offered me a job – taking over running his bookstore in New York," she told Tessa. To Luke: "Yes, I did think about it and I would like to take you up on it."

"Wait a minute," Tessa interrupted. "You're going to move to New York? Does your father know about this?"

"No, I was waiting for a good time to tell you guys," Mel said. "I guess this is, apparently, the best time."

Luke looked uncertainly from Tessa to Mel. "Was I wrong to offer her the job?" he asked Jocelyn.

"No, you weren't," Jocelyn assured him. "This is between them."

Tessa was still going on at Mel: "But New York – it's at the other end of the country. We just got you back. I thought we could spend some time with you before you went out into the world."

"Mum, I have to get a job sometime."

"So find one in LA. It's a big city; surely there's something."

"Sure, if I wanted to be in the movie industry, which I don't. Good jobs aren't easy to come by, especially not for me."

"What do you mean? You're smart and talented. I'm sure you can find something."

"I have a BA in English, Mum. The only place that would find that valuable is a bookshop and practically no one in LA reads books these days. I am going to take this up. New York isn't the middle of nowhere. There's the Internet. You'll still see me. I'll call every week and we can video chat."

Tessa could not find a way to argue with that. "Your father is not going to like this," she finally said.

"What am I not going to like?" Jem asked, making everyone jump as he suddenly entered the room.

Luke shifted to make a space for him on the sofa. "I offered Mel a job running my bookstore in New York. She wants to take it but Tessa doesn't seem too happy."

"Jem, you have to back me up on this," Tessa said. "It's New York. She'll be so far away. We'll only see her once or twice a year."

Jem poured himself a cup of tea and took his time to add in milk and sugar and stir thoughtfully. After he had taken a sip, he said: "I agree with you, Tess. New York's very far away from LA. I would prefer if you stayed in LA, Mel. We love you and will definitely miss you if you go. However, I don't want you to give up an opportunity to do something that you really want to do. It wouldn't be fair to you. It's your choice."

Tessa looked askance at him and gently punched him in the arm. "Traitor," she chided. He smiled fondly at her.

"We can always open up a portal for her on weekends so she can visit you," Jocelyn added. "She won't be cut off from you; I'll make sure of it."

Tessa threw up her hands in surrender. "It seems I have been overruled," she said. "Oh how times have changed." She reached over and prodded Mel on the arm. "You make sure you call regularly. At least once a week. If we don't hear from you, we'll send a search party and you won't like it at all, you hear?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Don't 'yes, mum' me. I was from New York so I know what it's like. You stay away from all the thugs and criminals, and, by the Angel, don't start taking drugs or sleeping around with strange men."

Again, Mel cringed. "Mum, please, not in front of company."

Jem laughed. "Tess, remember to breathe; you're overreacting. She's not leaving right this second. You'll have plenty of time to talk to her before then."

Just then, Michael stuck his head through the doorway. He caught Mel's eye and beckoned her over. Mel gratefully got up and left the room with him. Her action did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"You know, Tessa," Jocelyn observed. "I think another reason Mel wants to go to New York may have something to do with a nice young man."

Tessa looked concerned. "Do you think it's appropriate? After all, she is his… well, half-great aunt."

"I think Michael is far enough removed for it not to matter," Luke remarked. "In any case, will any of that matter if the two are in love? Look at Jace and Clary when they were younger. They thought they were siblings but they still fell in love anyway."

"I think those two will be just fine," Jem said, looking at the doorway through which Michael and Mel had just disappeared. "They're both normal adults with no epic tragedies or drama. Just a simple love story with a happy ending."


	6. Chapter 6

"It sounded like you needed rescuing," Michael said as he walked with her down the hallway.

Mel beamed gratefully at him. "Yes, I did. Thank you so much! It was getting so embarrassing in there." Then, she paused as something clicked in her mind. "Hang on, were you eavesdropping?"

Michael shrugged. "It's my house," he said. "Ok, yes, I was listening," he admitted. "So, you're moving to New York? That's awesome. I'm based at the New York Institute. Maybe we could… you know… hang out more." He ended off sounding very nervous and unsure of himself.

"Are you asking me out?" Mel asked him. She suddenly felt a little shy. Michael was nice and she liked him but she didn't think he felt the same. She had always thought it was solely guilt that made him be nice to her.

Now, he was looking everywhere except at her, slipping his hands in and out of various pockets on his trousers and shirt as though he did not know what do with them. "I guess I am," he finally said. "If you want to."

"I…" Mel hesitated. "I think I wouldn't mind."

Michael took a step towards her. He raised his hand to her face, tilting it up to his. His other hand touched her waist. Mel too put her arms around him as he leaned in to her. He seemed so uncertain about it all that Mel took matters into her own hands and kissed him. He was so startled that he pulled away and retreated until he hit the opposite wall, his mouth open in shock and, strangely, fear.

Mel too retreated. "I'm sorry," she said, mortified at his reaction. "I shouldn't have done that." She turned and fled down the corridor back to her room where she proceeded to berate herself for trying to move things forward too fast when it was clear that he was not ready.

She thought she heard footsteps pacing the corridor outside her room but no knock came. When all was finally still outside, she threw herself facedown onto the bed and screamed in frustration into the pillow.

She was not sure how long she remained in that position. A knock on the door roused her. "Mel, are you in there?" Jem's voice called.

Mel hurriedly sat up and arranged her hair into a tidier state. "Yeah, I'm here," she called. "What's up?"

The door opened and Jem came in. "We're leaving for the Accords signing ceremony in an hour. Tessa said to remind you," he said.

"Ok."

Jem's keen eyes took in everything, from the rumpled state of her attire to the chill of the room. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Fine, Dad. Why?" Mel asked.

"Well, Michael looked antsy when I passed him on the staircase and you've been in your rather cold room for quite a long time now." Jem came over and sat next to Mel. "Are you sure everything is alright? Did he hurt you?"

Mel let out a strangled laugh. "No, it wasn't him. It was nothing. It's fine. It's all good."

Jem gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Well, if you're sure," he said. "I'll leave you to get ready then." He got up and moved to the door. "Mel," he added, "You can always talk to me if you need to, ok, honey?"

"Sure. Thanks, Dad," Mel smiled at him.

Mel had no idea how to start a fire to warm up the room. Several attempts, lots of smoke and at least half a dozen wasted matches later, she gave up and decided a shower might do the trick. She regretted that decision almost immediately after she stepped out of the shower. The cold hit her so hard that she shivered violently for several minutes. It brought back bad memories of when she would have seizures.

When her body got used to the cold, she quickly dried off and pulled on warm clothes. A pair of tight fitting black jeans, black boots, a black linen blouse, and her wine-red velvet coat formed her attire for the evening.

She still felt a little cold as she made her way downstairs so she pulled up the hood on her coat. The hood was big and obscured her peripheral vision, causing her to walk right into Tessa.

"Careful, dear," Tessa said, putting her hands out to steady her daughter.

"Sorry, Mum," Mel apologised, pulling the hood back a little so she could see better. Tessa was dressed in a simple black gown with red trim. "You're wearing a dress! Is my outfit ok? Should I be in a dress too?"

"No, you look fine," Tessa answered. "That's a very beautiful coat. Where did you get it?"

Mel looked down at her coat. "Robert Lavinker, my mate from college. He gave it to me."

Tessa raised her eyebrows. "That was generous of him. It looks like an expensive coat."

Mel shrugged. "He said it was something he had and thought I would like."

Her mother nodded. "I see. Is he your special friend then?"

"No, Mum! He's just a mate," Mel exclaimed.

They entered the entrance foyer area and found Jem, Jace and Michael huddled together in a conversation. The three men were dressed in red Shadowhunter gear decorated with black runes. Tessa cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Good, you're here," Jace noted. "Four more to track down then. We're going to be late."

"No, we are not," Luke said, walking in with Jocelyn and Clary from a side corridor. "We still have plenty of time." They were all dressed in mundane clothes – Luke in a nice black suit and Jocelyn and Clary in black dresses.

Jace turned to Michael. "Go and hurry your sister," he ordered. "And if you find that boy of hers in the room, kill him on sight. He should know better than to seduce my daughter right under my nose."

"Dad, they're practically engaged," Michael said, rolling his eyes. He did as he was told though and headed to the stairs. He gave Mel a wide berth and avoided her eyes the entire time.

It was then that Maddy sauntered in from the sitting room area. She had on Shadowhunter gear and the most precipitous pair of heels Mel had ever seen.

Jace quickly spotted her. "There you are, Maddy. Michael!" he bellowed up the stairs. "Michael! Get down here! She's here!"

There was more fuss and commotion as Jace herded them all out and into two carriages. By the time Michael arrived back downstairs, there was no more space for him in his family's carriage and Jace unceremoniously pointed him to the carriage with Jem's family. The grimace on his face made Mel wince.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a very tense and awkward carriage ride and it felt like an eternity before the carriages finally pulled up at the Accords Hall. Michael and Mel had not spoken a single word to each other and were uncomfortably trying to sit as far away from each other as possible.

Naturally, Jem had noticed this but Tessa motioned for him not to ask any questions. He held his tongue but stared in concern at the pair the entire way.

The street outside the Accords Hall was congested with carriages and pedestrians. Jem grabbed hold of Tessa and Mel's hand and led them through the crowd. The Hall loomed larger as they approached. Mel could not help but stare. The Hall had a neoclassical façade made of white marble. Inside, they were greeted by a pillared arcade and sweeping spiral staircase. The ceiling was high and the moon shone through a skylight, pouring moonlight onto a large fountain in the shape of a mermaid.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders were all mingling in the arcade and trickling slowly through two wooden doors into the main hall. Tessa leaned in and said something to Jem, which Mel could not hear over the crowd. He nodded and went off in a different direction. Mel looked quizzically at her mother.

"I told him we could find our own seats," Tessa said, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd. "It would take him forever to squeeze in and out of the crowd to get us seats then go to his own place."

Tessa gently pushed her way through to the stairs that led up to the seating area, Mel holding on to her sleeve so as not to get separated. When they got up, Tessa looked around to find any empty seat. Mel heard someone calling them. Glancing around, she noticed Magnus Bane, dressed flamboyantly in the latest runway fashion, waving and pointing to the empty seats next to him.

"Well, well, good thing I told Alec to come early, isn't it, my dear?" Magnus greeted Tessa when they arrived. Henry, Magnus' 11-year-old adopted son, gave a boyish grin of hello and went back to reading his book. "The throng is unbelievable."

"At least they came," Tessa said, noting that there were a sizeable number of Downworlders mingled among the Shadowhunter crowd.

"It's the lure of a party and free food, my dear," Magnus retorted. Turning to Mel, he said in a conspiratorial tone: "These Nephilim are pretty staid all the time but their food is magnificient." Then, in a louder voice, he said: "I do miss the parties I went to at the London Institute."

"They still hold their Christmas parties every year, you know," Tessa told him.

Magnus snorted. "Yes, but do they invite me? I think not."

"I'll ask Jem to send them a memo to put you on their guest list this Christmas," Tessa teased.

The stands slowly but surely filled up with spectators. Though the Accords were meant to create harmony between Shadowhunters and Downworlders, and had, in recent years, been revised to promote greater unity, Mel could not help but notice that enclaves were forming among the spectators.

She pointed this out to her mother, who said: "Everyone knows the Accords help to maintain order, but deep down, the old prejudices still hold sway. There isn't trust yet. But we've come a long way since the beginning."

"Still not far enough though," Magnus interrupted. "Even within the Downworld, there are divisions. How can we unite with the Shadowhunters if we cannot even be cohesive among ourselves?"

"Clary tried to fix that, didn't she? With that special rune?" Mel asked. "I heard about that when Jace was doing his reminiscing the other night."

Magnus was prevented from answering by a loud gong sounding. It was the signal for the gathering to come to order and for the proceedings to begin. Everyone settled down and waited.

There was a short procession filing in from the back of the hall. Banners representing the werewolves, vampires, Faeries, warlocks and the Shadowhunters entered first, each being carried by someone of that species. These were placed behind a long table on the podium. Then, the Council and Downworld Representatives entered, followed by the three Council advisers and the Consul.

Mel felt impressed. The witchlight that illuminated the Hall as well as the architecture of the place added an air of pomp and mediaeval pageantry to the procession.

When all had taken their seats, Consul Alicia Montclair rose to give a speech. She spoke rousingly of when the Accords were first conceived and of the key moments and amendments that had changed the history of all their races. She added that although the Accords were not perfect, the spirit of the agreement was a well-intentioned one and one that all races should strive to uphold.

"The fact that we are all gathered here to witness the signing of this 12th Accords is to be celebrated," she said. "We have our differences, it is true, and we may not always agree, but I would like to think that one thing we can agree on is the need for peaceful co-existence. Let us hold on to this noble aim as we embark on a new leg of our journey together."

The Hall burst into applause at the end of the speech. Mel glanced over to Magnus, remembering how he had disagreed with the Council over the terms related to the Faeries. He was clapping his hands politely but his face was thunder.

Copies of the Accords were passed to each representative to sign. At the end, they each received a copy, placed in dark leather folios that were stamped with the Clave's symbol. Consul Montclair made a few closing remarks and the ceremony ended with little fuss.

Magnus and his son came along with Tessa and Mel as they exited the Hall. The warlock still wore a dour expression and many people gave him a wide berth. Outside, his demeanour changed into one of mild puzzlement as his keen cat eyes observed the crowd.

Jem and Alec, bearing drinks, found them after some time. "Good ceremony," Alec commented. "I half expected trouble from the Faeries, especially after yesterday's meeting."

"I'm not so sure we escaped trouble," Magnus muttered.

Alec looked concerned. "Are you having a premonition?" he asked.

"No," Magnus said. "Just an observation. How many Faeries were in attendance today? Apart from Kaelie and her two attendants."

"I don't know," Alec shrugged. "We didn't take a count."

"Guess. Go on, you too, Jem."

Alec struggled to recall. Jem too frowned in deep thought.

"You know, Magnus, I do believe I cannot recall a single Faerie," Jem finally conceded. "I remember seeing the werewolves, and the vampires, and even the warlocks. But the Faeries, nothing. I may even go so far as to say there weren't any at all." He turned to Alec for confirmation.

Alec concurred. "I can't believe I didn't notice. And I was staring right in the stands the entire time Alicia was making that speech of hers. What does it mean?"

Jem thought for a moment. Then, alarm washed over his face. "I think the Faeries are up to something. I think they've cut off Kaelie. She's in danger."


	8. Chapter 8

The discovery that the Faeries appeared to have boycotted the signing of the Accords cast a dark cloud over the party. Alec and Jem had spoken to the Inquisitor, who said he would initiate an investigation in the morning. In the meantime, extra guards would be discreetly placed around Kaelie, both to prevent anything untoward happening to her, and to stop her in case she proved to be a sleeper agent.

Jem decided to cut his partying short and return to the Herondale house. Mel, however, wanted to stay and experience some of the Alicante nightlife. She assured her father that she could find her own way back. Jem seemed very reluctant to leave his daughter in Angel Square on her own. Tessa had to step in and remind him that Mel was an adult and could take care of herself as she said she could.

Alone, Mel wandered through the crowd. As Magnus had mentioned, the food was excellent, and Mel went from buffet table to buffet table sampling the offerings. The food was also a social lubricant and she soon was deep in conversation with a vampire who was holding a glass of freshly collected blood mixed with espresso.

The vampire was regaling Mel with the tale of how he had once terrified a group of bandits into changing their ways after he pretended to be an avenging spirit from God. It was an interesting story and Mel saw a different side of vampires, giving her a another perspective than that of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and Anne Rice that she had grown up with.

Finishing his tale, the vampire wandered off. Mel walked around a little and then spotted Michael lurking in a dark alleyway. He had put on a black leather jacket with the hood up. The shadows threw the angles of his face into sharp relief and, coupled with his absent stare, made him look like a chiselled statue.

Mel made her way towards him. He spotted her coming and for a moment, Mel thought he was going to disappear into the alley. But it seemed like he thought better of it and stayed.

"Hey," Mel greeted. Michael echoed her greeting. "Listen, I wanted to apologise for earlier. It was so out of line for me to… do that. I didn't mean to make you feel awkward or anything."

Michael shrugged. "It's fine. You just gave me a shock."

"I thought you'd be used to girls clamouring after you," Mel said. "You're good looking enough. You must have had girlfriends. Oh god, I didn't even stop to ask if you had a girlfriend. What must she think? I probably shouldn't hang around you too much."

This made him laugh, a short ironic laugh though. "I don't have a girlfriend," he said. "When anyone looks at me, they see Jace Herondale's son. When your father's the greatest Shadowhunter of his age, it's hard to be your own man. Most girls who come up to me are fangirls of my dad's." Mel made a sound of disgust. This made Michael laugh properly. "Yeah, you get it."

"Girls like that are idiots. You and your dad are completely different people," Mel assured him.

Michael began frowning again and turned slightly away from her so his face was hidden in shadow again. "Everyone expects me to be like him. They all expect me to be the second coming of Jace Herondale. I'm supposed to be this great powerful warrior but…"

"But deep down, you feel like you're just a fraud?"

He nodded. Then, as though remembering himself, his expression hardened and he squared his shoulders. "I think I had a bit too much to drink. I'm gonna go. Do you have a ride home?"

Mel shook her head. "Not really. I was going to hitch a ride or walk."

"Will you walk with me, then?" Michael requested, putting out his hand.

She took it. "I would love to."

They talked about trivial things on the walk back, mainly about the party and the Accords. It was friendly between them but Mel felt like something had changed since their midnight ride together. As they left the city on the road to the Herondale manor, their conversation stopped altogether. The only sounds were the crunching of their shoes on the gravel road and the night-time insects calling.

There was a little bit of tension between them now. Mel felt like she should say something but did not know what. As they walked, she sometimes caught Michael stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking. Once, their eyes met and he quickly turned away. He released her hand and pulled up his hood again. Disappointed, Mel did the same.

It was in this manner, with both of them ensconced in their own little worlds, that they returned to the manor. In the warmth of the foyer, both lowered their hoods and smiled shyly at each other. "Thanks for walking me back, Michael," Mel said. "Goodnight." She then began climbing the stairs up to her room.

She heard him his footsteps on the stairs behind her and presumed he too was going to his room. She was surprised when he followed as she turned into the guest wing. She stopped walking abruptly, causing him to crash into her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He fiddled with the hem of his jacket. "I…" he began, blushing as he spoke. "I'm walking you to your room."

"No, you're not," Mel retorted. "You're 'following' me to my room. That's stalker behaviour, in case you didn't know." She saw Michael's shoulders slump a little as she told him off. "I'm sorry, mate. Look, I'm happy for you to walk me to my room. Just… walk next to me instead of behind me."

She offered him her hand and after a moment of hesitation, he took it and fell into step next to her. When they got to her room, Mel opened the door and stepped inside. Michael lingered in the doorway. "You can come in, you know?" Mel said. "In fact, I think I might need your help lighting the fire. It's freezing in here."

Michael grinned a watery grin and stepped inside. "By the Angel, you're right. What have you done with the place?" He hurried over to the windows and pulled back the drapes. Immediately a blast of cold air filled the room. He turned to her and pointed at the window accusingly. Mel blushed. She had forgotten to close the window. No wonder it had been cold.

"Trying to enjoy as much fresh country air as you can before you go back to LA?" Michael asked as he shut the window.

"Must be," Mel agreed. "Now, please, can you help me light the fire?"

He strode to the fireplace and motioned for Mel to join him. Then, instructing Mel as he went along, he built up a roaring fire in less than 10 minutes. Mel's mistake earlier had been the failure to create ventilation for the fire.

It was cosy and the two of them sat on the rug in front of the fire, both feeling too comfortable to move. Mel broke the silence first. "Michael, I'm going to ask you something, but you're not allowed to freak out, ok?"

"Sure."

"Can I kiss you?"

He looked alarmed and his whole body stiffened. Mel hurriedly reassured him: "Relax. You can say 'no' if you don't want me to. It's perfectly fine. I promise I won't hold it against you."

Even greater panic registered in his eyes. Again, his hands scrambled for something to do. Mel wondered why was he so terrified of such a simple thing. At last, he stammered. "Yes. I'd like to kiss you."

"Are you sure?" Mel asked in concern.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, but I want to."

Slowly, as though approaching a skittish animal, Mel came towards Michael. She knelt by his side and took his hands. She waited until she felt him relax before she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. She kissed him gently at first, then harder, and felt him respond to kiss her back, matching her intensity.

He ran his hands over her body, stroking and touching through the fabric. She too caressed him and clutched his body to hers. His body was warm, lean and firm, muscles developed from years of Shadowhunter training stripping away any softness he may have had.

However, when Mel slipped her hands under his shirt, Michael tensed up again. "No," he whispered. "Don't."

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><p><strong>What do you guys think of Michael? I don't usually have this many OCs in one story, so this is kind of experimental for me. Please tell me what you think.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Apologies if anyone has been trying to follow this story cos I keep moving it between categories. I can't make up my mind if it belongs here in the Mortal Instruments or in the Infernal Devices category. XD So it's back here for now. Please review so I have some feedback and some direction.**

* * *

><p>Mel unwillingly withdrew her hands and pulled away from him. Michael was looking at her with an expression of longing mixed with fear. "What's wrong?" she asked.<p>

He shook his head. "I should go." He quickly got up but Mel grabbed his hand.

"Michael, tell me what's wrong. You keep running off; what am I supposed to think?" she said. He paused but said nothing. "Do you have a phobia? You don't like to be touched? Is it something I did?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "It's not you. Really. You have to believe me."

"Then what?"

It was clear that there was a battle going on inside him. Whatever defences and masks he usually wore seemed stripped away and he looked vulnerable. Mel stood and took both his hands. "Michael, please, tell me what you're thinking. I want to help you. I know we barely know each other, but I can't bear to see you like this. Please, tell me how I can help."

Michael squeezed her hands. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I… Do you know what is panic disorder?"

"Yes, it's when someone gets bouts of extreme anxiety and uncontrollable panic."

He nodded. "I had my first panic attack when I was 13," he explained. "I was about to take my exams at the Academy. I was facing off a classmate. I remember my instructor pushing me, saying he expected me to be excellent. The fight had just began when I… Everything just suddenly became too much. I… I lost the round and failed the exam.

"Dad was so disappointed. He didn't say it but I could see it in his face. He had such high hopes. Maddy had been a brilliant student and he thought that as a boy, with his blood, I could do even better. Mom didn't say anything. She just tried to be supportive. But I knew she was disappointed too. I let everyone down.

"I went back to the Academy in the next term. I did fine in classes. In training sessions, I performed up to expectations. I did everything I had to do to make up for… Anyway, at the exam, I couldn't do it again. I don't know. The weight of everything came crashing down on me. I spent two weeks hiding in my room before Mom figured out something was wrong.

"She thought I was just being a teenage boy having a bitch fit and was sulking in my room. So she dragged me out and took me demon hunting with her. That was a big mistake. I almost got us both killed when I froze at the crucial moment. After that, the anxiety just got worse. The Silent Brothers had to be called in to restrain me after I, apparently, broke down, curled up into a ball and tried to physically attack anyone who came near me.

"It took a lot of counselling and fortitude runes before I managed to regain normality and control how I felt." Michael paused and rolled up his left sleeve to show Mel the network of silver scars on his arm.

"In a couple of months, no one remembered that I ever had a problem. I became Jace Herondale's golden son. I was on the way at last to becoming the best Shadowhunter of my generation. The cool kid in school everyone looked up to and wanted to be. After I came of age, I went to the New York Institute and spent my nights hunting demons and my days downing Xanax, and slowly losing my mind with the weight of the expectations on me.

"And then I met you, Mel. You, who basically knew nothing about the Shadow world, or about me. Even after you knew who I was, you still didn't look at me differently."

"Of course I didn't. I wouldn't treat anyone differently just because they have famous parents," Mel protested.

"No, you actually did behave a bit differently around the others. Like Henry Lightwood, for instance," Michael said. "You suddenly started being more curious. I know the look; I've been on the receiving end for a very long time.

"But, like I said, you didn't act any differently towards me. So I thought 'this is my chance for a fresh start'. Right from the start, you saw me. The me inside. You trusted me, for me, not for the legend. You make me feel calm, that I'm worth something – something more than the persona I present to the world. You don't know how much that means to me.

"When you kissed me earlier, I was not prepared for it. You knocked me completely off-kilter. I was terrified you might think I was rejecting you, and then I would lose you. I… I didn't want things to change between us. I still don't. I'm not ready."

Michael was now gripping Mel's hands so hard that his nails were digging into her skin. "I'm not ready but I want you. I need you. I don't want to be how I was before. I don't want to live like that. But…" his breathing was becoming very erratic and Mel was afraid he might faint. She gently manoeuvred him to sit on the bed. He did not resist but continued to speak, his words tumbling out faster and faster: "I'm afraid that if I can't give you what you want, if I hurt you again, you'll leave and disappear back into the mundane world forever. And I don't know if I could take that."

It was clear that panic was starting to get the better of him. He realised this too and it seemed to worsen his anxiety. "Mel, help me," he pleaded.

Mel slowly eased one hand free from his death grip and used it to give him a one-arm hug. His body was extremely tense. "Michael, you're my friend. I'm not going to leave you. I'll always be there if you need me. All you have to do is call. And I'm not going disappear into the mundane world. This is my world too."

Mel could feel him hyperventilating. She started to gently massage the back of his neck, and employed a technique a nurse had once used on her. "You're going to be ok. You hear me? Now, I want you to breathe with me. Take slow deep breaths. Don't think about it. Just follow me, ok?" She began breathing slowly and deeply, willing Michael to calm down.

It seemed to take forever but she finally felt his chest rise and fall with hers and his body relax. He released her other hand, and she flung it around him to hug him properly.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Mel asked. "Just to sleep. I don't want you to have another panic attack."

"Yes. I'd like that," Michael answered gratefully.

They did not change into night clothes but just slid under the covers. There was plenty of room on the bed for the both of them but Mel snuggled up close to Michael. He shifted so that they were laying face to face.

"Are you ok?" Mel asked.

He nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

She touched his face. "Thank you for trusting me. You know that it's ok to ask for help, right? It's not a sign of weakness or anything. It actually takes great strength."

He too raised his hand to stroke her cheek. "In another world, Mel, we might have been parabatai."

"We still can be," Mel said.

"No, the ceremony isn't open to those above 18," Michael said. "And, thanks to me and my idiotic youth, you're not a Shadowhunter."

"Well, then we won't tell anyone," Mel said. "We'll be secret parabatai."

"But," Michael said, a little too casually, "If we become parabatai, even in secret, the whole idea of it excludes romantic love."

"Are you saying you want to be my boyfriend?"

"I'm not ruling that out."

"In that case, I have to tell you something. But you have to promise to stay calm."

"You already have a boyfriend," Michael guessed.

"Not exactly," Mel said. "He's a really close friend from college. His name's Robert Lavinker. He gave me my red coat. We were one of those on-again off-again couples. But after we graduated, I went home to LA, he went home to New York and we didn't keep in touch. I was thinking of getting together with him again when I start working for Luke. What do you think?"

Michael rolled onto his back and stared at the four-poster bed's canopy. "Part of me wants to be selfish and keep you all to myself. The other part says I'm screwed even before I start, so... I don't know, Mel. I have no experience with girls and relationships."

"You can throw your hat into the ring," Mel said sleepily. "That might be fun."


	10. Chapter 10

Mel was awoken by a loud and insistent knocking on the door. In her sleep-befuddled mind, she wondered why the bed was exceptionally cosy that morning. It was only when she stretched her arms and hit a warm body beside her that she remembered asking Michael to stay the night. He was still sleeping soundly despite the noise.

Mel slipped out of bed quietly, realised she was still fully dressed, and pulled on a robe to hide it. She padded over to the door and opened it. Jem stood outside. "Good morning, Dad," she greeted.

Her father looked like it was far from a good morning. "Good morning, Mel," he said, his voice full of worry. "Listen, hon, I know we were going to return to LA tomorrow, but Tessa and I have decided that the two of you will go back today."

"What? Why?" Mel asked.

"Something's happened," Jem began but was interrupted by a soft groan from the bed. "What's that?" he asked anxiously. "Is someone in your room?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, it's fine, Dad. Nothing's wrong," Mel said, panicking a little as her father tried to look into the room. "You were saying something happened?"

Jem looked at her sternly. "Melissa, wake your young man up, please. If he's a Shadowhunter, he needs to hear this."

Blushing hard, Mel obeyed. She returned to the bed and gently shook Michael by the shoulder. He woke up quickly. "My dad's here," she told him sheepishly.

Michael leapt out of bed upon hearing that. "What do we do? Do I hide under the bed or something?"

"You could try but, unfortunately, I already know you're here," Jem commented, coming into the room and surveying the situation. "Michael Herondale, what were you doing in my daughter's bed?"

"Dad!" Mel exclaimed in mortification.

"Nothing, sir, I swear by the Angel. We were just sleeping," Michael said. To his credit, he too was still fully dressed, including his utility belt, from which hung several weapons.

Jem pinned him with a stern stare. Finally, he said: "Luckily for you, this is the 21st century, and we have more important things to worry about than who my daughter has a sleepover with."

"Yeah, Dad, you said something happened. What happened?" Mel asked, eager to change the subject.

"Kaelie Whitewillow and her attendants were found dead this morning," Jem told them. "Alec just came to deliver the news."

"That doesn't make sense. Weren't there guards at her residence?" Michael asked.

"There were four. All four were found fast asleep at their posts."

"That's not possible. How were the Faeries killed?"

"Alec said that from initial investigation, the wind was taken from their lungs."

"That's Unseelie work!"

"You mean those Faeries we saw the other night?" Mel asked Michael.

"We don't know if they are the ones responsible," Jem said.

"But it's too much of a coincidence if two groups of Unseelie were in Idris within days of each other," Michael said.

Jem held up his hand. "Michael, go clean up then go downstairs. They're all in the sitting room and could use your input." Michael glanced over to Mel who motioned for him to go.

Of course, Jem missed nothing of the gesture. "I don't know what happened between you two, and I don't need to know," he said to his daughter after Michael left the room. "You're an adult so I know I shouldn't interfere. Just be careful, ok?" He gave her a kiss and told her to wash up and prepare to go home.

Mel did not have the chance to see Michael again that day. Within the hour, she and Tessa had been driven to the Gard where the only Portal in Alicante was located. The dark stone fortress was swarming with Downworlders who had heard about the killings and were anxious to leave Idris. A feeling of danger ran through the crowd like a virus.

The Portal deposited Mel and Tessa in their back garden. It was the middle of the night when they arrived in LA, causing Mel to be momentarily disoriented and fear that something had gone wrong. Tessa was calmer and quickly hurried her daughter into the house. Church darted over to greet them but quickly turned grumpy when he realised Jem was not there.

"What about Dad?" Mel asked as she watched her mother make tea in the kitchen. "He's coming back, right? They don't expect him to fight, do they?"

"I don't know," Tessa said. "The Clave might send him as an ambassador. They won't risk open war until they are sure this is a real threat."

"Three people were murdered!" Mel exclaimed. "No, wait, it wasn't just a murder, it was a political assassination. Wars have been waged over less."

Tessa slammed her hand on the table causing Church to yowl in protest at the sound. "I'm worried about Jem too!" she snapped. "But there's nothing either of us can do because we are not Shadowhunters." She took a breath and poured out hot water into mugs. Then, in a softer tone, she said: "I'm sorry, Mel. I keep forgetting that you don't know this world well. It's not like the mundane world. There are clear boundaries. Policing is done by the Shadowhunters. They don't like Downworlders getting involved."

"So what will happen now?"

"It's an unprecedented incident, but I think the Clave will send messages or envoys to the Seelie Queen. They will have to inform her of Kaelie's death anyway. I suppose there will be an investigation. If it was really Unseelie work then there may be an attack. The Shadowhunters won't take something like this laying down, especially when it happened right in their own homeland. What happened to the Seelie might happen to the Unseelie."

Mel felt sick. She had studied the wars in history class – the Great War, the Second World War, the War Against Terror, the Middle East War. But all those conflicts had happened far away and had no impact on her. If it were not for news reports, she would not even have known that fights were going on.

However, this potential conflict hit too close to home. It was not just about Jem. "If the Shadowhunters go to war, will they all be mobilised?" Mel asked. "Even those who are not stationed in Alicante?"

"During the Dark War, Shadowhunters across the globe were recalled to Alicante," Tessa said. "All except the very old, the very young and the sick were called to fight. The Institutes emptied as they left for Idris. But I don't know if they will do that again. It had consequences last time and made the Downworld more suspicious. It looked as if the Shadowhunters were abandoning the world."

Tessa was aware that the more she spoke, the more worried Mel looked. She gave her daughter a hug. "It's not time to worry," Tessa said. "For all we know, it could have been Kaelie's enemies that killed her for personal reasons that had nothing to do with politics."

Mel nodded though she was not entirely reassured. She wished there was something she could do to help. However, she could not even do magic like Tessa could and was practically a mundane. She had never felt her insignificance before, but she felt it now.

She pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind. Now that she was back to civilisation, it was not difficult to find things to distract her. Mel went to her room and booted up her computer. Nearly a week's worth of junk e-mail greeted her. She deleted them one by one, thinking that she had to get around to unsubscribing and blocking a lot of things – now that she had graduated, did she really need to see offers on student loans, for instance?

One e-mail caught her attention. It was from her friend Robert Lavinker. Mel eagerly opened it and read it. It was a friendly missive, asking how she was and telling her about the goings on in his life – he had settled down back home in New York and had been lucky enough to find work as an personal assistant at a corporate firm. He added that he missed her.

She smiled fondly as she remembered the good times they had spent together in college. She began to type a reply before realising that there was no way she could tell him anything about what she had been up to in the last week. It was not just telling her on-again off-again boyfriend about Michael but also about the whole Shadow world. How could she tell anyone that she had spent the past few days in a country that did not appear on any map and was populated by people who were half angels?

She settled for telling him that she had found a job and would be moving to New York. It was a barebones e-mail and Mel knew her friend would be frustrated and, if he were here, would give her a teasing tell-off.

It began to sink in exactly how much her life was going to change. If she truly wanted to embrace the Shadow world, she would have to cut ties with the mundane world, or live on the fringes, and vice versa. Mel could not see a way for someone like her to have the best of both worlds. It was depressing.


	11. Chapter 11

Days passed. There was little new news from Alicante and although Tessa maintained a calm façade, it was clear that she was getting worried. Mel was due to move to New York soon. Tessa was still adamantly opposing this and doing everything to show it. Unfortunately, in the absence of any clear threat, Tessa's objections were baseless.

Mel was packed and ready. Luke had arranged for a Portal to bring her to New York by the end of that week. She was extremely excited but also a little sad to be leaving Los Angeles. It had become her home. A day before Mel was due to leave, Tessa went to the city for the day to run errands and Mel decided to take the car out for a joyride.

She took the road up to the hills and kept on driving until she felt like stopping. The area was farther than where the tourist coaches usually went and was deserted. Mel switched off the engine and went out to sit on the hood. She could see the city shimmering under a veil of heat below.

She leaned against the windshield and closed her eyes, soaking in the hot California sun. Everything was peaceful but Mel suddenly felt something wrong. She could not pinpoint what it was. All she could think of was the feeling like when a plane caught in turbulence suddenly shook violently.

Thinking it was an earthquake, Mel quickly slid off the hood to get into the car and run. But as she turned and faced the hillside, she was shocked to see a bright light shining in the earth. The light grew bigger until it was the size of a door. There was a strange smell of something chemical burning.

A Shadowhunter tumbled out of the Portal and landed face down on the ground. The Portal closed immediately. The Shadowhunter was dressed in full black gear. He held a large hunting knife in one hand and a stele in the other. But was alarmed Mel most was the sight of a long arrow in his back.

"Hello? Are you ok, mate?" Mel asked, realising the absurdity of the question only after she asked it. "Shadowhunter, can you hear me?"

She gingerly squatted down and prodded his shoulder. He groaned. Mel saw his hands trying to gain purchase on the ground to lift himself up. Up close, Mel saw that what she thought was brown hair was actually bright red streaked with dirt and drying blood. She had a horrible feeling as she slowly rolled the man onto his side, revealing a familiar face.

"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed. "Michael? What the hell happened?" She swore some more when she saw the other end of the arrow sticking out of his chest. Michael cried out in pain when she moved him. His eyes were unfocused and he was unaware of what was happening. Mel frantically thought about what to do. She could not call 911 after all. "I'm gonna call the LA Institute. They'll send help. Don't you worry, mate. It's going to be ok," she said. Her hands were stained red with his blood causing her to fumble as she handled her mobile phone.

One of the Blackthorns answered Mel's call. It was agreed that Mel would take Michael to her home, which was nearer, and a Silent Brother would go there to treat him.

Moving Michael was the first challenge. He was thin but his body was all solid muscle. Mel pulled him up to a sitting position and arranged his arm around her neck. She fell over as she attempted to stand and pull him up to his feet. The arrow in his back was shaken when he hit the ground and he began to bleed more, both from the arrow wound and several other wounds on his body.

Mel decided to do something drastic. She knew about runes and she knew how to draw them, though she had never done it before. But desperate times called for desperate measures. She picked up his slim silver stele, rolled up his sleeve and drew a healing rune on his arm.

It was not a very well-drawn rune and only vaguely looked like the healing rune. But it began glowing immediately when she had finished and some of his wounds began to close.

Encouraged by her success, Mel concentrated on trying to move him. She swore as several attempts failed. "Come on, Michael, work with me here!" she urged him. Finally, Mel managed to drag Michael over to the car. There, she was met with yet another problem. Michael was very tall, but the car was a small one. In addition, with the arrow in his back, he could not sit in the seat properly.

She thought about trying to remove the arrow, but years of watching medical dramas on TV told her that was not a good idea as it might trigger uncontrollable bleeding, which would send him into shock and ultimately death.

In the end, she laid him on his side in the back seat. It was a rather precarious balance and as soon as the car started moving, he slid off onto the floor. He moaned loudly when it happened.

"Sorry, mate, I'm so sorry," Mel said. "Hang in there." She drove as fast as she could, wincing at every bump in the road.

When she got home, she saw a tall figure wearing parchment robes standing by the front door. It was a surreal sight. But the Silent Brother strode forward as they approached. He introduced himself as Brother Raphael and helped Mel to carry Michael into the house.

Mel brought them into her room and put Michael on her bed, after unceremoniously removing Church from it. Brother Raphael began to examine Michael.

"_Did you mark him?_" the Silent Brother asked, indicating Michael's arm.

"Yes," Mel said. "I didn't know what else to do. He was bleeding so much."

"_Impressive that a Downworlder can use a stele,_" the Brother said.

"Is he going to be alright?" Mel asked anxiously.

Brother Raphael did not answer. He drew out a knife and carefully trimmed the arrow down until only a few inches of the shaft protruded. "_Help me hold him still,_" he instructed Mel. She obeyed and held Michael's body in place as Brother Raphael slowly drew the arrow out. Blood immediately began to flow. The Silent Brother used his knife to cut off Michael's clothes and then drew more runes on his chest to stop the bleeding and induce healing.

The Silent Brother asked for water and clean cloths, which he used to wash Michael's wounds. He applied healing runes as he worked. Mel stood in the doorway watching in worry. She began to pace in the living room under the watchful eye of Church, who was perched in a patch of sunlight on the windowsill.

A taxi pulled up outside – Tessa returning home from the city. She surveyed the car that Mel had forgotten to park properly and noticed the bloody backseat with alarm. She rushed up to the house and flung her arms around her daughter: "Mel! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mum," Mel said.

"I saw all the blood in the car. What happened?"

"Michael. He suddenly appeared. There was an arrow and so much blood." Mel's voice shook and she began to cry as all the emotions she had suppressed washed over her.

Tessa hugged her daughter tighter. "Where is he now?"

"In my room," Mel sobbed. "I called the Institute. Brother Raphael is here."

Tessa sat her daughter down on the sofa and went into the room to find out the situation. After a while she came out and sat next to Mel. Taking her hands, she said: "Mel, he's going to be ok. You did the right thing. I know it's scary to see someone you care about hurt so badly, but you saved his life. He's going to be fine."

Mel just cried harder at that, but more from relief now than worry. Brother Raphael came out and handed the bowl of bloody water and rags to Tessa. "_Michael is resting now. He should wake in a few hours._" To Mel, he said: "_Do not fear for him. He is out of danger._"

Tessa assured the Silent Brother that they would take care of Michael, and Brother Raphael took his leave. She helped Mel to change the bedsheets that were stained with blood and change Michael into a set of Jem's pyjamas.

When they were done, they both stood around the bed in silence for a moment. Then Tessa asked her daughter, "Mel, did you know he was going to Portal here? Did he tell you anything?"

Mel shook her head. "I hadn't seen him since we left Alicante. He fell out of that Portal. Literally. I don't think he planned to come here."

"I have heard that if you enter a Portal without a clear idea of where you want to go, the Portal will just transport you to the person or place that has the strongest connection in your mind," Tessa said. "But why would the Portal bring him here? You two have known each other barely a week. Why didn't he just go back home?"

"In Alicante, Michael said that we might have been parabatai if I hadn't turned Forsaken," Mel said. "I don't know; Dad's the parabatai expert. Maybe that's the link."

"That might explain it," Tessa said. "If he felt so strongly about you, it would make sense for the Portal to bring him here. Your father always said that the institution of parabatai just makes tangible something that was already there. I suppose Michael has a tie to you then."

"But what am I supposed to do? I don't know how to be anyone's parabatai," Mel sald. Then she added, more hopefully: "Maybe I'm just overreacting and he's just a good friend."

"From what I have seen, you two could definitely be parabatai," Tessa said. "And don't worry. I know it's scary, but you don't have to do anything special. Just stay with him. He'll draw strength from you and your presence will comfort him. Sometimes that's all that is needed."

* * *

><p><strong>I suppose if my story can be considered to be divided into parts, this would be the end of Part One. <strong>  
><strong>Thanks for reading this far guys. Please leave a review if you liked it or not (but hopefully you liked it). <strong>

**So what are the Faeries up to? Will Mel and Michael remain friends, become parabatai, or fall in love? How will their lives change when Mel goes to New York?**  
><strong>Stay tuned for Part Two, coming up soon. :)<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Michael woke up feeling a warm furry weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and was greeted by a faceful of sleeping Persian cat. Puzzled, he sat up, causing Church to tumble off him and yowl. He reached out to pet the cat but quickly pulled back when Church attempted to take a bite at his fingers.

"Okay," he conceded. "I won't touch you."

He looked around, confused as to where he was. It was twilight outside so it was dim in the room. He found himself laying in a bed with dark purple sheets. Based on the decoration, he surmised that he was in a girl's room, though he had no idea why he was there. There was a chair next to the bed, with a shawl crumpled up on it.

He remembered the fight and the arrow. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was wearing an unfamiliar tshirt and pyjama bottoms. The spot where the arrow exited his chest was a little warm due to several healing runes placed in the vicinity. That probably explained why the cat was laying on him.

After taking stock of his former injuries, Michael got up and exited the room, the cat winding himself around his ankles as he walked. He found himself in a small but cosy living room, with well-worn furniture. There was no one there but he saw framed photos displayed around a TV set in an entertainment centre.

He recognised the people in the photos – Tessa and Jem, mainly, and a few of Mel. He guessed that he was in their house. But why? A wall clock sounded, chiming the half-hour in the tune of Big Ben bells. It was the most mundane house Michael had ever been in.

He then wandered into the kitchen where he found a pot of something simmering on the stove. It smelled good. There was a door at the back of the kitchen that was ajar. He smelled fresh air coming in and took a step towards it.

Mel came through the door, carrying an armful of carrots and turnips. "Michael!" she exclaimed happily. "You're awake!" She placed the vegetables down on a counter and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried. What the hell happened?"

Michael hugged her back. "I should be asking you that, Mel. Where am I? What am I doing here?"

"You're in my house," Mel informed him, then gave him a summary of the afternoon's events.

Tessa came in then. "Michael, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for having me here," Michael replied.

"We couldn't kick you out on the street," Tessa replied, laughing. "Are you hungry? I'm making soup. Jem should be back soon."

"Of course he's hungry, Mum," Mel answered. "He's spent the whole afternoon asleep. I was sitting with him up until about half an hour ago and I'm starved."

"Well, see to the vegetables, then," Tessa instructed. "The sooner they cook, the sooner you can eat. I'm going to see what's taking your father so long."

Tessa bustled out again and Mel pulled out a chopping board to begin cutting the carrots into small chunks. Michael stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, feeling more and more that he had dropped into a surreal alternate reality.

"Stop staring, Michael. Have you never seen anyone cook before?" Mel asked. "Grab a chair and sit down."

He did as he was told and sat himself down on a high stool. Everything felt so normal that he was not sure how to behave. At his home in Alicante, normal was people trooping in and out, just grabbing food to go. The sight of someone polishing weapons on the dining room table was not an unusual one. And he was not sure he had even seen anyone cook in the kitchen at the New York Institute, save microwaving instant food.

Here though, they all gathered together and sat down at the table for dinner. Tessa ladled out huge bowls of vegetable soup while Jem placed grilled chicken on the table and Mel scooped out portions of steaming white rice. The only unusual thing he noticed was that Jem ate his rice with chopsticks.

The talk at the table was lighthearted, centred mainly around Mel's departure for New York the next day. It was only until after the delicious dinner was eaten and the dishes washed did Jem finally ask Michael to tell them what had happened to him.

"It started out with Henry Lightwood buying some kind of mundane remote control toy plane," Michael began. "He wanted to try it out so we went to a quiet area in Central Park. A gust of wind blew Henry's plane off course and into the trees so we chased after it. When we entered the trees, a bunch of Unseelie Faeries attacked us.

"I don't know how many of them there were. A lot. Henry's just a kid, so I told him to run. I covered him as he escaped so I didn't manage to get away myself. I fought them and I thought it was working cos I could see their numbers thinning. But then one of them shot me from behind. That's when I knew I was in trouble. I guess they knew it too cos their attack suddenly got much more ferocious.

"Mom had taught me how to open a Portal with just one rune, so I got out my stele and started drawing. I'm not sure what happened after that. I just woke up in Mel's room."

"It's out of character for the Unseelie to attack unprovoked," Jem said thoughtfully. "I wonder what has changed. This is the first attack since Kaelie's death which, in the absence of other evidence, I assume must be Unseelie work as well. Did you wander into their territory?"

"I don't think so. We were on neutral ground until the wind blew the plane into the trees. After that, I think it was Seelie territory. We're allowed on Seelie territory," Michael said.

"The Unseelie are getting bolder," Tessa commented. "Are you going to report it to the Clave?"

"We will," Jem said. "Alec is handling it. Come to think of it, you probably should give the New York Institute a call and tell them you're here."

"I think Brother Raphael has already informed them," Tessa said. "In the meantime, you can stay here for the night and go to New York with Mel in the morning. Luke is opening a Portal for her. You can hitch a ride."

Michael still felt that the situation was strange. "Why aren't you more curious about what happened? I thought you would be interrogating me," he asked. "Why are you acting like it's just a minor accident, like I tripped over the stairs or something?"

Jem answered: "This is the interrogation. You're making your statement to me, as a representative of the Clave. I see no need to be intimidating or make things difficult for you. This is certainly not a minor incident, but – and I know this is frustrating to hear – we have no control over the Unseelie, so there is little we can do. All we can do is to register our concerns with the Seelie."

"This jurisdiction thing is just rubbish," Mel said. "If the Unseelie attacked one of us, they should be ready for the consequences."

"We have to honour the Accords, Mel," Jem said. "Or else our word will mean nothing. The Unseelie are not part of the Accords, therefore, we must be more careful when we deal with them. We want peace."

Michael stared at Jem and frowned. He had always known the story of how Jem had been a Silent Brother but had left the Brotherhood – the only person in history to have done so. "You've known Shadowhunters for a long time, Jem. Is it really so hopeless or are you just unwilling to take up your sword again?"

"Hey! My Dad is not a coward!" Mel protested.

Jem retained his composure. "It's a perfectly good question to ask, honey," he said. "Yes, Michael, I am unwilling to fight again. I have seen far too many conflicts over the years and I wish only to live out my days in peace. But I will fight if I have to. I am a Shadowhunter at heart. My years in the Brotherhood did not take that away from me. Just because the Brothers are healers does not mean they are not also warriors.

"However, I know Shadowhunters and I know their capabilities. The fact is that the Fae are more powerful than we are, and we have barely seen the exact nature of their abilities. I doubt the Shadowhunters can win in an open war against them. Hence, I would prefer the path of negotiation – to bring them into the fold and make them our allies."

Michael had no idea how to respond to such pacifism. Jem seemed to notice his struggle and said: "I understand your concern, Michael. You were raised by a warrior to be a warrior. The fight is what you know. I am not saying that we do not fight and allow our enemies to walk all over us. But there is a time to fight and a time to make peace. Knowing the right time for either is a delicate art. You will learn, as we all do."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi guys! Thanks for reading. Please review! :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

There was not much discussion about the matter after dinner. In fact, as the Carstairs seemed more concerned about Mel's move to New York the next day, Michael kept to himself and sat outside on the small front garden. Church the cat sidled up next to him and began grooming himself in an undignified way.

As Michael listened to the bustle inside the house, he wished his parents could be like Tessa and Jem. His own parents were more relaxed and hands-off. Both let him fight his own battles and neither raised a fuss when he left home for the first time. He understood why they were like that – neither wanted to treat their children the way they had been treated by their parents: Jace had been raised by the worse criminal in recent Shadowhunter history, whose idea of a father-son bonding session was a good thrashing; Clary had spent her childhood tussling with an overprotective mother who refused to allow her an inch of freedom.

Though Michael knew this in his mind, in his heart he wished his parents could have been there for him a little bit more. He sighed and absently reached out to pet Church, who hissed at him.

"I'd leave Church well alone, if I were you," Mel said, coming out of the house. "Don't fall for his tricks. He pretends to be cute to lure you in and that's when he strikes."

"He's the devil cat that my dad talks about, isn't he?" Michael asked. "The one that hates everyone?"

"Yeah, he's that cat," Mel answered. "He likes my dad though. The story goes that Dad rescued him from being sacrificed in a necromantic ritual and the cat loved him ever since. But he likes to hang around Herondales for some strange reason, even though he keeps trying to attack them."

"That would explain why he's hanging around me and keeps trying to bite me," Michael said. Church gave a loud protesting meow. "Oh don't meow me, Mr Church Cat. It's the truth."

Mel laughed. She then took Michael's hand. "Come on, we're turning in for the night."

Inside, Mel showed Michael where he was to sleep on the sofa. "If it were up to me, you could sleep with me. But Dad put his foot down and said 'not under my roof, young lady'. So you get the sofa."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Michael assured her.

But it was far from fine. He was a tall man and the sofa was not a large one. He had to alternate between his legs hanging off the end and curling up into a very small ball. If he rolled over onto his side too quickly, he was liable to lose his balance and fall off. There was also something poking him in the back but he could not find what it was.

It seemed that he had fallen asleep for no sooner than a minute before he something woke him. The room was dark and there was a large black shape bending over him. Disoriented and suddenly afraid, he flung out his arm and heard Mel whisper loudly: "Bloody hell, Michael! You almost took off my nose."

"Mel?"

"Who else? I thought you might like to sleep in a proper bed. Dad's gone to bed so I figured I could sneak you in," Mel said.

"You want to sneak me into your bed?" Michael clarified, unsure if this was real or a particularly vivid dream.

"Yeah."

"I don't think your dad will be very happy about it. I don't want to make him angry."

Mel shrugged and sat on the floor, leaning on the sofa. "Are you ok, Michael? You were kind of moaning a little when I woke you. Like you were having a nightmare."

"I can't remember," Michael said. But he did. In his dream, he was underground, following Henry's toy aeroplane. He was looking for something or someone. There was a nearly overwhelming fear that if he did not find what he was looking for, something very bad would happen. But the more he searched, the more lost he felt. He did not want to tell Mel that.

"Nightmares suck," Mel said. "There should be a rune to protect against nightmares."

"I think that's what dreamcatchers are for," Michael replied. "I had one when I was a kid. A big one made of rowan wood. It hung over my bed for years until the string holding it up finally wore out and it fell on me in the middle of the night. I screamed the house down, thinking something was attacking me."

Mel looked disdainful. "Doesn't that mean the dreamcatcher gave you more nightmares?"

He shrugged. "I like to think it warded off enough nightmares that the strain of doing it made it finally wear out."

Mel opened her mouth like she was going to say something but changed her mind. Instead, she stood up. "You sure you don't want to come sleep with me? It looks really uncomfortable on the sofa."

"I'm sure."

She pouted a little then went back to her room. A few seconds later, she re-emerged with her arms full of pillows and a blanket. "Mel, what are you doing?" Michael asked curiously.

She put all her things on the floor, making up a little bed for herself. "What does it look like, genius?"

"Like you're camping out on your living room floor."

"Exactly!"

"Why?"

"Cos you didn't want to come sleep with me, so I'm coming to you," she replied, her tone suggesting that it was a silly question with an obvious answer. That made no sense at all to Michael. But then, he had never really understood girls. "Go to sleep, Michael. We both have to get up early in the morning," Mel ordered, settling down on the floor.

There was silence for a few seconds as Michael listened to the sound of their breathing and the rustling as Mel shifted her position. Then he said: "Mel, just now… thanks for rescuing me. I guess you've gotten your revenge for me marking you when you were a kid. Yours is the only iratze I've had that left a scar."

There was a long pause before Mel answered. "Don't joke. It wasn't funny. I thought you were going to die. I had to do something, even though I had no clue what I was doing. I thought I might kill you if I did it wrong. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"Yes. Actually, I do," he retorted. "I went through that 20 years ago." Memories of that day went through his mind – the day his best friend got injured and was screaming in pain like she was going to die. He was just a four-year-old boy, and had tried to help by stealing his mother's stele and drawing a healing rune on her. But instead he had turned her Forsaken and lost her. It was one of the worse days of his life.

There was a very long pause. Then Mel sat up to face him and touched his hand. "Michael, I'm sorry, mate. I didn't know," she said in a soft voice. "I guess this is one more thing we have in common then."

Michael grasped her hand, turning her arm up to reveal the scar where he had marked her as a child. "It's not really parabatai runes but we've both been marked by each other for life. Mel, I'm being very serious. You and I are tied. I really wish you and I could be parabatai. I know we're too old to do the ritual formally but we can still promise to be there for each other."

Mel traced the scar of the healing rune she had drawn on his arm. "How did the words go? 'Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee…'"

"For whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge," Michael joined in. Together, they continued: "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me."

They did not speak for a moment after saying those words. Then Mel pointed out: "You know just saying the words doesn't mean we actually became parabatai, right, mate? It's like kids doing a pinky swear in the playground. And it's not like I can be of any use to you as a parabatai."

"I know," Michael admitted, reaching to touch her cheek. "It was good to hear those words though. Makes me feel less alone."

For one crazy moment, he thought about kissing her. But he hesitated too long and she lay back down in her little nest of pillows. Silence fell over them again, a stifling kind of silence that was like the deep breath before a plunge. He leaned over the sofa and stretched out his hand. He lightly brushed against Mel's shoulder as she lay on her side. She reached over and took his hand.

It took only the lightest of tugs from her to convince him to slide down onto the floor too, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. Soon, even their breaths were in sync as they both fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Liked it? Please review k? Have a nice day! :)<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

Going to New York the next day was an uneventful affair. Tessa had awoken to find Church comfortably curled up in the middle of the sofa and Michael and Mel both tangled up together and sound asleep on the living room floor. She had looked disapproving when she woke them but did not say anything about it.

The Portal Luke opened brought Michael and Mel to the apartment behind Luke's bookstore. After seeing Mel get settled in, Michael headed back to the New York Institute. He desperately needed a shower and a change of clothes as the clothes he wore – borrowed from Jem – were a little too big and short for his slim and tall frame.

It was a brisk winter morning as Michael strode up the sidewalk towards the huge gothic cathedral that only he could see. It had been home for him for six years, since he turned 18.

As he approached the front steps, he saw a boy sitting there. It was Henry Lightwood, the adopted son of Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane. Eleven-year-old Henry was not a Shadowhunter but an orphaned mundane who possessed the Sight. Alec had found him nearly five years ago, hiding in a cupboard when the Conclave raided an apartment building that had been the site of a demon attack. His dark hair had been matted with blood and he had gazed up at Alec with absolute trust.

Henry did not live in the Institute but he was a regular there as he was being trained in the Shadowhunter ways. Michael had once overheard his father speaking to Alec about putting Henry forward as a candidate for Ascension one day.

The boy loved following Michael around and seemed to look up to him as a big brother. Right now, he got up when he saw Michael and ran towards him, gladness and relief on his face. He stopped before him and exclaimed: "You're ok! I thought they were gonna kill you."

It was clear that Henry wanted to throw his arms around Michael in a big hug but was holding himself back. At that age, he thought himself too manly to indulge in such a childish gesture. Michael gave him a quick squeeze around the shoulders though. "It'll take more than some Unseelie to kill me, kid," he said. "Are you ok though? They let you get away unhurt?"

Henry nodded. "I don't know what they did to my plane though. I went back there this morning but I couldn't find it."

"Henry! You shouldn't go back there alone. What if they attacked again?" Michael asked.

"I wasn't scared," the boy protested. "I can take care of myself." He showed Michael a large knife he was carrying loosely in a gun holster inside his jacket.

Michael grinned. He grabbed Henry round the waist and lifted him up off the ground. Ignoring the boy's protests, he carried him over to a nearby Dumpster and pretended to throw him in.

"Hey! Put me down!" Henry protested, giggling and shouting at the same time. "No, no! Not the Dumpster! Mike! No! Ok, I get it. Point taken. No more going to Central Park by myself. Stop!"

Laughing, Michael put Henry down on the sidewalk. "You've got a long way to go, kid," he said, ruffling Henry's hair. He turned to walk away but sensed Henry rushing at him from behind. With a swift twist of his body, he had Henry flat on his back on the sidewalk. "Pinned ya," he teased. The boy pouted and kicked. Michael was prepared for the first kick but the second took him by surprise. That was all Henry needed to wrestle his friend down to the ground too.

"Ok, ok, I give up. You win," Michael finally said, raising his hands in mock surrender. Henry whooped in happiness. "Come on. Let's get back to the Institute. Why were you sitting on the steps? Got locked out again?" The Institute doors could be opened only by Shadowhunters. Henry was given a key but he often forgot to bring it along and had to wait outside until someone let him in.

"Nah. I was waiting for you. Ayah said you were coming back today," Henry said, referring to Magnus Bane with the Indonesian word for father. He bounded up the steps and picked up his battered messenger bag. He dug out a key and opened the Institute door for the both of them.

Footsteps were heard as they entered and the stout form of Sofia Bramasole appeared. The head of the New York Institute did not look happy. "Michael, a word," she ordered.

Henry avoided eye contact with Sofia and slunk away to his lessons. Michael sighed and followed Sofia into her office. "Am I in trouble?" Michael asked. Sofia was stern and ran a tight ship at the Institute.

She did not enlighten him until they entered her office on the second floor. It was full of filing cabinets, and a computer dominated the desk. Flowery curtains fluttered at the open window.

Michael stood before the desk, feeling like a schoolboy sent to the principal's office.

"Getting into a fight with the Fae. What were you thinking?" Sofia hissed at him. "You, of all people, should have known better. You know the Seelie aren't happy with the Nephilim now. Not since Kaelie Whitewillow was killed right in the heart of Alicante. I have told you people again and again to respect territorial boundaries, and not wander into other territories like it's a picnic," she reminded. "And, what's worse, you drag Henry into it. He's barely trained."

"It was Seelie territory," Michael protested. "I didn't know there was any edict against Nephilim going there. And it wasn't even the Seelie who attacked us. It was the Unseelie. They came out of nowhere."

"Nothing ever comes out of nowhere," Sofia snapped. "You should have been more vigilant. Clearly, you let your guard down when you shouldn't have. You will submit a full report to me and then you will liaise with Alec Lightwood on this investigation."

"Investigation?"

"Yes," she said. "Because if you were right that it was Unseelie who attacked you…"

"Of course I'm right, Sofia," he interrupted. "I'm not an idiot. I know what it was that attacked me."

"Then we have a bigger question of why they were in Seelie territory in daylight," she finished. "In any case, full report, investigate. You're scheduled for 12-hour patrol tonight." Michael groaned when he heard that. "That's for being reckless yesterday. Try and stay out of trouble this time," she said, dismissing him.

Leaving the office, Michael headed straight to his room. It was at the back of the Institute where it was dark and cool. Outside the window was a view of the surrounding buildings, creating the feeling of being walled in. Michael liked it.

He unlocked his door and walked in. The room was not large but it was a good size for him. Books were scattered all over the place – from the bookshelf to his desk, bedside table and even in his bed and under his pillow from when he read in bed. Tessa had once told him that in this respect, he was exactly a Herondale.

Herondales, she said, were all voracious readers, had a white star-shaped birthmark on their shoulder, an irrational dislike of ducks, and a tendency towards dramatics. Michael grinned to himself, remembering Mel's face when she heard that.

"It's true; you do get kind of broody and overreact sometimes," she had said, smirking a little. He had rolled his eyes at her while her parents laughed.

He now pulled out his cellphone, wanting to text Mel. He was halfway through composing his message before he realised that he did not have her cellphone number. He cursed his idiocy; how could he have forgotten to ask for something so basic?

He did not want to disturb Luke by calling to ask him for Mel's number, so he just sighed. Since he had time before his punishment patrol was due to start, he settled down at his desk and pulled out paper to begin his report for Sofia. Knowing the high standards and expectations of the Institute's head, it was going to take a while to compose an acceptable report.

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><p><strong>Please review and tell me what you think! :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

The Council chamber in Alicante buzzed with activity. At the moment, Ezra Hammersmith, a Shadowhunter from Montreal was making a speech: "There have been reports of the weather being unnaturally weird for this time of year. Even the mundanes are starting to ask questions. Of course, they are. Why wouldn't they, when the Niagara Falls has frozen solid, massive floods in India during drought season, the aurora borealis appearing over the Himalayas. There has even been rumours of a pack of polar bears spotted in the Nile river."

"Is it possible they just got lost?" someone quipped loudly. Laughter erupted.

"Northern lights over the Himalayas? Floods when it's meant to be bone dry?" Ezra reiterated. "Something unnatural is going on and I think I speak for the majority when I say that this is clearly the work of the Fae. Isn't nature and power over nature part of their whole make up?"

"I don't know where you are getting your information, Ezra, if you are suggesting the Fair Folk can control the weather," retorted the new Faerie representative Shirin Petalina. Shirin was a textbook Fae – tall, blonde, very striking and with eyes that were too old for her face.

"It's a well-known fact, Shirin," Ezra pointed out. "Throughout history, there have been many localised pockets of unnatural weather that were clearly linked back to the Fae."

"Localised," Shirin emphasised. "Tales that we can control the weather on a global scale is hearsay and superstition. Besides, there has not been one shred of real evidence that the Seelie have been involved in this latest round of so-called strange weather."

"A lake appeared in the middle of the Australian outback just two days ago," a Shadowhunter with a strong Australian accent added. "Complete with fish and everything."

Jem leaned over to Alec just as others began chipping in with examples of unusual weather phenomenon they had experienced. "I never thought I'd see the day when a Council was held over the weather," he whispered in an amused tone.

Alec grinned. "I agree with Shirin on this though," he admitted. "There isn't enough evidence to say the bad weather is the fault of the Fae. Global warming has been a problem of late. I suspect that is the real culprit, even if the Fae may have played around with the weather in the past."

"Give a dog a bad name and hang him," Jem observed.

Ezra was not backing down. "There! You cannot deny there have been odd things happening with nature lately. And we know better than to say all these things are natural. When things happen, if it isn't Downworlders then its demonic."

"I must object!" Shirin exclaimed. "How can you immediately accuse Downworlders of wrongdoing and class us together with demons? Have you also forgotten that mundanes share this world? The Fair Folk have long observed the harmful impact they have on nature."

"Oh, so the mundanes are responsible now, are they?" Ezra snickered. "They accidentally let loose polar bears in Cairo now, did they?"

Shirin appealed to Consul Alicia Montclair. "Consul! Mr Hammersmith's words are deeply offensive and the Fae will not stand for it. I expected this chamber to at least be civil."

The Consul agreed and reminded Ezra to be more polite, to which Ezra retorted that he had said his piece and had nothing more to add.

Another Shadowhunter, David Cloudgarden, rose and asked if it were possible that the Unseelie were wreaking havoc on the weather. "After all, even if it has not been strongly proven, there has been a link between the Fae and the weather. If the Seelie were not involved, then perhaps it is the Unseelie."

Shirin considered this point for a moment before answering: "If it is the Unseelie, then I have not the knowledge of it. The Seelie do not have any control over the Unseelie. I do not see why the Unseelie would do it though. I cannot find any advantage for them to gain."

"No, they are not part of the Accords," David noted. "But there's no denying that they have been active recently. There have been sightings all over the world, not to mention the attack on the Shadowhunter and Ascendant in New York, as well as the sighting right here in Alicante."

"On that note, what is the Seelie doing about the attack on Michael Herondale and Henry Lightwood?" Ezra asked. "They were attacked in Central Park – Seelie territory. You have no excuse to do nothing."

"The Seelie are investigating the attack," Shirin assured the council. "We will present the findings in due course."

"Bosh," Ezra growled. "What is there to investigate? It happened right under your noses and the boys have reported that it was clearly Unseelie which attacked them."

"The attack on Michael Herondale and Henry Lightwood was unfortunate," Shirin admitted. "It was something that certainly should not have happened. We are glad that both young men emerged from the encounter unscathed but I can only repeat what I have already said: the Seelie are investigating and will report in due course. The politics Under the Hill are more complex than you think. We do not wish to jump to hasty conclusions and anger the Unseelie if we can avoid it."

"Shadowhunters do not fear Downworlders," Ezra snorted. "But if Downworlders hurt one of our own, they should be prepared to face the consequences."

"Is that a threat?" one of the werewolf representatives present growled.

The Consul stepped in quickly. "No one is threatening anybody," she said firmly. "I am sure Ezra was merely reminding all of us of what is stated in the Accords, and that is all." Her tone brooked no argument from either side. "Ezra, I will remind you again to be civil or leave these chambers." He rolled his eyes but sat down quietly.

"It is true that the Unseelie have been posing a problem recently," the Consul admitted. "However, everything we have so far has been hearsay and superstition, as Shirin has pointed out. Freak weather has happened before and had nothing to do with the Shadow world. We cannot rule out that possibility this time. We can only continue to monitor the situation. Shirin, I ask the Fae to keep an eye on the Unseelie and to report any signs of suspicious behaviour.

"As to the attack on Michael and Henry, we have to wait for the investigation and report. I will deal harshly with anyone who tries to administer their own brand of rough justice in the meantime," she cast a stern eye over Ezra Hammersmith and his little band of friends, who were muttering mutinously. "We must work in line with the Covenant and the Accords. That is the way of Shadowhunters. We uphold the law and we follow the law or our words mean nothing."

With that, the Consul dismissed the gathering. Alec and Jem stayed behind after the others had all left the chamber.

"What do you think?" Alicia Monclair asked them.

Jem shook his head. "I agree that we wait for more evidence," he said. "We cannot accuse anyone without proof; and the way Faerie politics work, if we make a mistake, we could pay for it for generations."

"But are we playing it too safe?" she asked. "Perhaps we should be seen to do something? People like Ezra Hammersmith are not happy to just sit and wait."

"We could launch our own investigation," Alec suggested. "I think there is something the Fae are hiding from us. Politics aside, did Shirin seem too quick to defend the Unseelie? I thought the two courts hated each other."

"Traditionally they do not work together," Jem said. "If there is some Faerie political play going on, then it started with the death of Kaelie Whitewillow, or soon before that. While poor Kaelie was a victim, Shirin Petalina certainly knows more than she's letting on. But I haven't found the right question to ask that will make her tell us what the Queen has in mind."

Alicia sighed. "The Seelie are significant allies. Any kind of power play between the Seelie and Unseelie would have an impact on the Shadow world."

"What's the worse the Fae could do?" Jem asked.

Alec shrugged. "Break the Accords for one. They were never happy with the no-weapons rule. They could certainly exit the Accords if they wanted to. We can't stop them. But that could create a ripple effect and could cause the other Downworlders to break with us too. And I can't even begin to think what plans the Fae could have on the mundane world."

Alicia nodded. "I'll send out feelers in the Downworld community to suss out what they think. Maybe get the representatives to convince their communities that staying with the Accords is the best thing."

"I think the biggest obstacle would be Shadowhunters like Ezra," Jem commented. "Shadowhunters have to stop treating Downworlders like they are second-class. If we can do that, everything would be rosy."

"I think you're asking for the moon there, Jem," Alec joked. "You'll have more success persuading the Seelie to tell you their plans before you're able to get Shadowhunters to stop being arrogant and stuck-up."


	16. Chapter 16

Michael Herondale waited a whole week before he went to call on Mel Carstairs. He was not sure what was a correct interval of time to give her to settle down into her new home and new job, and ended up with that figure of seven days. But now he stood on the threshold of Luke's book store in Williamsburg, with a takeaway bag of doughnuts and two cups of hot coffee, and hesitated.

What if she was busy? What if she didn't want to see him? What if she had already eaten breakfast? A thousand doubts ran through his head and suddenly made the act of walking through the doorway seem like something monumental.

"Hey stranger, you coming or you going?" Mel's voice suddenly asked behind him.

He jumped in surprise and spun around. "Mel! Hi! I mean, I was just… er…" he stammered. He held out the bag like a shield. "Doughnuts! I have doughnuts. And coffee. Oh crap, I just remembered you're English. I should've gotten tea. You don't have to drink the coffee. It's probably not done the way you like it anyway." Then, seeing her bewildered expression, he added: "Sorry, I'm going to go and come back and can we start this all over?"

Without waiting for Mel to respond, he dashed off and ducked into the alley next to the store. There, he banged his head against the brick wall, cursing himself for his awkwardness. It was just Mel, for goodness' sakes, he scolded himself.

Michael took a few deep breaths, composed himself and marched out and up to the bookstore again. This time, he went straight in. Mel was standing behind the counter and doing something at the cash register.

"Hi, Mel," he began. "Good morning. How's things? I brought doughnuts. And coffee. I hope you're hungry."

"Hello Michael," Mel replied, smiling broadly. "Yes, I do like doughnuts." She took the bag from him and peered inside. "Ooh, rainbow sprinkles; I'll take that one. The coffee too. I don't mind that. Thanks, mate."

Michael thanked all the gods that Mel did not mention his earlier false start, even though she was clearly trying not to laugh. "So, how are things? Have you settled in to New York alright?" he asked.

"Things are good. You never told me how awesome New York is. It reminds me a little bit of London," Mel said. "I've got a nice little apartment at the back. I'm still decorating, so pardon me that I don't invite you in just yet."

"No, no, take your time," Michael said. "But you seem to be settling down alright in the shop."

"There's not really much to do," she admitted. "Business is slow. People tend to come in and browse, but not many buy stuff. I'm thinking of putting a café corner in so at least we can sell drinks and snacks and make some money. But Luke says we need a permit to sell food, so that might be the end of that idea."

"I think it's a good idea," Michael assured her. "You do need to diversify a little, especially these days. You know people don't read much. A book club might be a nice touch. And you could serve drinks to them for tips – to get around the no-selling rule. Then you could be guaranteed regular customers."

"You know, I never thought of a book club. That's an interesting idea," Mel mused. "We could rent out the space for functions too, not just a book club. We could have programmes for students, poetry recitals, movie screenings… I'm really glad you stopped by Michael, I didn't think of any of these before. Luke should've hired you instead."

"Just trying to help," Michael muttered. He was shocked when Mel leaned over the counter and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

She grinned from ear to ear. "You looked like you needed something to relax you. You're standing there like a schoolboy being punished. I hope I'm not that scary."

Michael laughed. "No, you're not scary at all. I'm just being an idiot, as usual."

"Well, idiot, if you're gonna stay, finish your coffee and doughnut and give me a hand with the stocks," Mel instructed. "You can be the muscle. I need some help carrying up the books from the back."

Michael gave her a mock salute and did as he was instructed. He spent a couple of hours that morning helping Mel move books around. She had an idea of rearranging books that could help to attract customers, especially those who tended to come in and browse only the front few shelves. It was a simple task but hindered by the fact that he kept becoming distracted by the books.

"You're a bookworm, aren't you?" Mel finally asked.

Michael dropped the book he was perusing. "How can you tell?"

"Well, for one, you're a Herondale. Then, you look at the summaries of almost every book you touch. And also the way you treat the books. You actually do think of where to place them, and if they'll be interesting to the customer. It's like you know the books well, like they're old friends."

"Would it surprise you if I told you that they are?" he asked. "Anyway, don't you like books too? Isn't that a prerequisite to working in a bookshop?"

"Sure I like books," she replied. "But I think you like them way more than I do."

Michael was going to reply to that when the door of the bookshop opened and someone stepped through. "Anyone home?" the person called.

"Oh hey, Rob! Back here!" Mel called. To Michael she said: "It's my boyfriend Robert Lavinker. Remember, I told you about him?"

"Yeah," Michael mumbled.

"Come on, I want you to meet him." Mel grabbed Michael's hand and led him out to the main shop space. Waiting there was a tall man dressed in an outfit that, although was casual, reeked money and sophistication. Michael felt very inadequate in his torn jeans and tshirt.

Mel introduced the two men and Michael shook hands with Robert. Something felt off about him, though Michael could not put his finger on it.

"Well, Michael, it's nice to finally meet you. Mel's told me a lot about you," Robert said. "Don't worry, it's all good."

"I wasn't worried," Michael replied. "But it's nice to finally meet you. Mel did tell me you were her on and off boyfriend in college. I take it it's 'on' again?"

"I hope we are," Robert said, putting an arm around Mel's shoulders. "When she told me she was moving to New York, I said to myself, I have to pursue this one and see it through. And I'm really glad I did." Mel actually blushed.

"Yes, she's really something," Michael muttered. He was feeling a little nauseous watching the two of them.

"I'm taking her out to lunch, would you like to join us?" Robert asked.

Michael glanced at the clock. "Is it lunch time already? Time really flies," he noted. "Thanks for the invite but I think I should get going." He headed for the door.

"It's been very nice to meet you, Michael," Robert called. "Very nice indeed."

Exiting the bookshop, Michael realised what was unsettling him about Robert. As he pulled the door open, a ray of sunshine had come in. Although Robert was standing in the light, he did not cast a shadow.


	17. Chapter 17

"What are you doing?" Henry Lightwood asked, leaning on a chair in the Institute library and watching Michael pore through books.

Michael glanced up at the boy. "What does it look like?"

"I thought you don't need to study any more once you become a full-fledged Shadowhunter," Henry inquired.

"It's not studying; it's research," Michael told him. "I need to find out stuff."

"There's Google, you know? You can find stuff out in, like, a second," Henry pointed out.

"I've tried that. Didn't get very good results. Mostly mundane morality tales about dealings with the devil. Nope, the library is far more accurate for Shadowhunter work, my young padawan."

"What are you looking for?"

"Information about people who don't have a shadow."

Henry snorted. "That's impossible. Everything has a shadow. That's just how the world works cos objects block light."

"I know. That's why I'm looking it up," Michael said. "This morning, I saw a man who had no shadow. He was standing there, in the sunlight. Other people around him cast shadows but not him. I have to know what he is."

Henry's eyes lit up. "Is he a _demon_?" he asked with morbid curiosity. Henry had still not been out on demon hunts as both his fathers had forbidden it until he Ascended.

"Don't know," Michael replied. "He didn't seem to be. He was standing in sunlight."

The younger boy looked disappointed. Then he perked up. "Maybe he's possessing someone. Did you see his eyes? Were they all black? Was there a smell of sulphur? Did he talk in a funny voice?"

"Did you break into Magnus' collection of Supernatural DVDs again, Henry? No, there were no black eyes, no sulphur and definitely no funny voice," Michael said exasperatedly.

"You know, I think the hunters in Supernatural are the descendants of Shadowhunters," Henry told him. "Their ancestors were Shadowhunters who left the Clave."

"Supernatural's not real, Henry. Some guys in a studio thought it up years ago and hired actors to act out the story," Michael pointed out. "And then they show it to fools like you who actually think it's all real."

"Hey, I learnt a lot from that show!" Henry protested. "Like salt rings and demon lore."

"Is that where you've been learning your demon lore from? No wonder you've been failing your tests," Michael teased.

Henry stuck out his tongue sulkily and did not deign to reply. Michael took the opportunity to review the information he had already found. As he had told the younger boy, it was mostly mundane morality stories – or rather, different versions of the same story.

It began with a man who sold his shadow to the devil in return for a sack of gold that never emptied. Eventually, he became shunned in society because he did not have a shadow. The devil offered to remedy the situation and exchange his shadow for his soul. However, the man, being a Christian, refused and threw away the sack of gold. He dedicated the rest of his life to learning about nature and science, and eventually found friends who did not care that he had no shadow. He ended his life still shadow-less but with a deeper communion with nature and his own better self.

Yet another mundane tale told of a man who, while on vacation, imagined that his shadow cast on a neighbouring balcony was another person. He went to bed imagining that his shadow was doing likewise in the room next door. The next morning, he woke up without his shadow, but as a new one grew almost immediately, the man did not miss it.

Years later, there was a knock on his door at home. The man opened it and was stunned to find that it was his old shadow, now almost human in appearance. Now, the man was weak and ill but the shadow was hale and hearty. The shadow offered to sponsor the man to some time at a health spa on the condition that the man pretend to be the shadow and the shadow pretend to be the master.

While at the spa, the shadow met a beautiful princess and wanted to marry her. He then demanded that the man become the shadow permanently, and he the master. Of course, the man refused. That night, when the shadow was with the princess, he spun a tale and said he dreamed that his shadow had gone mad and thought it was a real man. The princess was appalled and the man ended up being executed while the shadow married the princess.

Michael shook his head as he read through these stories. The things these mundanes got up to and the stories they told about things they did not understand.

"Peter Pan," Henry said suddenly.

"What?"

"You know, the movie. I saw it on Disney Channel's classics night. Peter Pan lost his shadow and Wendy had to sew it back on for him," Henry explained. "I know, Peter Pan is fake too but I'm sure he's based on some kind of Shadow world lore."

"First, it was a book before it was a Disney movie. But you may be on to something there, Henry," Michael agreed. "Here, go grab me a book on Faeries. Go through that aisle, up the stairs, turn right, and another right, then you'll know you're in the Faerie section when you see it."

Henry did as he was told. Michael heard his sneakers squeaking as he made his way through the shelves. He then heard the boy go "wow", indicating that he must have reached the Faerie section. Because of the Institute's proximity to Central Park – one of the entrances to the Faerie realm – the library had a large collection of Faerie books that had come from Under the Hill. These books gave off an aura when they were in the library, reacting to the magic in the surroundings, hence causing them to be shelved in a separate section from other books.

It was not often that the Shadowhunters needed to consult the books on Faeries; most usually just went to Central Park and asked a Faerie directly if they had questions, or asked one of the servers at Taki's. Hence, it was not hard to imagine Henry's amazement at the sight. In fact, he was taking so long that Michael called out to him to hurry up.

The boy came reluctantly back to the table clutching two books. Michael glanced at the titles and decided that one was no use – it looked more like a history book than a book of lore. The second was more promising. It spoke of Faerie magic. Michael was surprised Henry managed to even touch this book.

Opening the book, Michael saw why – the book seemed full of spells that came straight out of a mundane fairytale. Here was a recipe for trapping starlight in a puddle; there was a method for turning one's enemy into a sheep. He sighed and shut the book.

"Nothing?" Henry asked. "I really tried; I thought these would be helpful."

Michael shook his head. "Doesn't look like there was much in here. Sorry, Henry. It wasn't your fault. It was a long shot anyway."

"Would be nice if there was Google for books," Henry mused, pulling the book towards him and flipping through it. He turned a few pages before his eyes widened. "Mike! Look!" He shoved the book back to Michael. There, against all expectations, was a page describing how one could use one's shadow as an extension of oneself, sending it to carry out tasks on one's behalf.

Michael grabbed the book and read the page through a few times. "Henry, you're a genius!" he exclaimed. "An absolute genius. And everything you touch turns to gold." He studied the book more carefully. It was one of the rare Unseelie volumes they had. "So, Robert is Unseelie," he muttered.

"Who's Robert?" Henry asked.

"He's Mel's friend," Michael began, trailing off as a horrible thought occurred to him. "Oh by the Angel, he's Unseelie. I left her alone with him. I have to warn her!" He pulled out his cellphone and hurriedly punched in her number. It rang all the way through and got disconnected at the end. Confused, he called her again, this time checking carefully that he had got the numbers correct. Again, there was no answer.

Henry was watching this expectantly and piped in: "Why don't we just go over there?" he suggested.

Michael agreed and in less than 20 minutes, they were alighting from a cab in front of Luke's bookstore. One of the younger werewolves from Luke's pack was manning the counter and told Michael that Mel was not in and he did not know when she would be back.

Michael pressed on. "Do you happen to know Mel's friend, Robert Lavinker?"

"The boyfriend?" the werewolf asked. "Sure, he's in here quite regularly."

"What do you think of him?"

He shrugged. "I don't know really. He's a normal guy. Seems quite nice."

"Nothing strange or off about him?"

"No. Why're you asking?"

"No reason really. I just wondered," Michael replied. Then, with Henry still in tow, he left the store.


	18. Chapter 18

"A Downworlder would be able to tell if someone else is a Downworlder, right?" Michael asked Henry as they walked along.

"I guess," the boy agreed.

"So, if Robert's really a regular at the store, Jocelyn and Luke would have noticed if he was a Fae and would have said something, wouldn't they?"

Again, Henry agreed.

"I'm overreacting, aren't I?" Michael reluctantly asked. "It was probably a trick of the light or something, right? It's like you said, it's impossible, from a physics point of view, for someone to have no shadow. That book was the only evidence we had about shadows being able to detach from a person, and it was probably a fairytale."

"All the stories are true, though," Henry reminded him.

"Oh great. Now I'm starting to second-guess myself again. Thanks a lot, Henry," Michael griped.

He dropped Henry off home and barely escaped being invited to Magnus' party later that evening. The warlock was dressed in an outfit that looked like fabric and a disco ball had a love child and were not afraid to show it. Henry looked like he wished he could go back to the Institute with Michael.

Michael continued to be lost in thought the next day. He kept trying to call Mel but to no avail.

On the morning of the third day, Michael returned exhausted from patrol. He had been engaged in skirmishes with demons all night, chasing the creatures up and down Manhattan before the sun finally rose and drove them back to their own realm. All he wanted to do was sleep.

But the issue of Mel still continued to bother him. He was one of the best Shadowhunters of his generation and he trusted his instincts. They were now telling him that something was wrong, though he could not figure out what. He tried to call Mel again but with no response. He also dropped by the bookstore again but was again told that she was not there.

Instead of going back to the Institute, Michael went to Brooklyn and found himself standing outside the apartment where Henry, Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood lived. He raised a hand and rang the doorbell.

The sound echoed through the apartment and quick footsteps came towards the door. Henry opened the door and grinned widely. "Hey Michael! What's up?"

"Hey kid," Michael greeted. "Is your dad in?"

"Ayah is, Dad isn't."

"But we can always give him a call if it's important," Magnus Bane added, poking his head out of a side room. He saw Michael and came out. "Hello, Michael. This is a surprise. We don't often see you here."

"Hey Magnus," Michael said. "Sorry, I didn't want to bother you."

"No bother," Magnus assured him cheerily. "Come in, come in. Make yourself at home."

The apartment's décor changed very frequently. Today, the main space was covered in Japanese-style tatami mats and large grey cushions shaped like pebbles. A black wooden low table in a corner was covered with Henry's books.

Magnus lounged on the cushions. Next to him, his extremely fat grey Scottish fold cat Purrman Meowville stretched out, blending in perfectly with the décor. "Now then, what can we do for you?" he asked.

Michael hesitated. He did not want to look stupid in front of the warlock. "It might be nothing," he began slowly.

"Nothing is good. Nothing means our lives are nice and simple, with no one in mortal peril," Magnus interjected.

"Ayah, he's trying to talk," Henry protested.

Magnus agreed with his son: "You're right. Apologies for the interruption, Michael. Carry on."

"Well, as I said, it might be nothing," Michael repeated. "I've been trying to get hold of Mel – Mel Carstairs – for a few days now, but I can't get through her phone. Every time I go down to Luke's bookstore to look for her, she's not around. I'm getting worried."

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence and you really do keep missing each other," Magnus suggested. "As to the phone calls, perhaps you have her number down wrong." The warlock paused then and carefully scrutinised Michael. "Ah, but there's something else troubling you. There's a reason for your worry, beyond just simple concern between friends. You believe there may be something more sinister in her absence."

Michael nodded. Then he asked Henry: "Have you told him? About what we were researching in the library?" The boy shook his head.

Magnus looked curious. "What have you been dragging my boy into now?" he asked in mock annoyance.

"Could be nothing," Michael said again. "It's just… the last time I saw Mel, she was with her boyfriend, a person named Robert Lavinker. And, the thing is, I could have sworn he had no shadow. I'd never seen such a thing before so I researched it with Henry at the Institute library. I suspect this Lavinker is a Fae. An Unseelie, to be exact."

"Do you have proof of this?" Magnus asked, sitting up. His tone was serious now.

"None," Michael admitted. "It could have been just a trick of the light. Henry pointed out that it's impossible to have no shadow, from a physics point of view. And the book I read that from is full of frivolous and trivial spells – more fantasy and fiction than fact. Also, this Lavinker is a regular at Luke's store. He's been seen by the pack. Surely they would know if he's a Fae."

"You seem to have laid out a pretty convincing argument for this whole situation being 'nothing'," Magnus noted. "And for Lavinker to be free from involvement."

"I know. But something tells me that I'm wrong. Something's up. I can feel it. But I have no proof," Michael confessed.

Magnus' slim fingers tickled the cat as he thought. "Alec has told me of the political situation in Alicante," he began. "I was sorry to hear of Kaelie Whitewillow's death. There is trouble stirring in the Clave. I know also of your encounters with Unseelie; yours and Henry's. The Unseelie would have grown bold indeed, if they moved on to kidnapping a Shadowhunter."

"Mel isn't a Shadowhunter though. She's Forsaken; as good as a mundane. What use would she be to anyone?" Michael interjected.

"Henry, tell Michael here about the uses of angel blood in rituals," Magnus said to the boy.

"Super powerful," Henry exclaimed eagerly. "Gives any blood ritual an enormous boost, and practically guarantees that even the most dodgy ones will work. Also confers protection to the bearer and is said to offer a direct phone line to heaven. That one isn't proven but people always wanna try."

"Exactly," Magnus agreed. "Mel may be Forsaken but angel blood still runs in her veins. There's also demon blood in there, since Tessa is a warlock – the offspring of a Greater Demon to boot. There would be a high premium on her blood on the black market. And because she's Forsaken, officially the Clave cannot do anything to help her.

"Of course," he continued, "there's always the boring old kidnap-for-ransom strategy. Or blackmail; Jem is very well-regarded on the Council and everyone knows he would do anything to protect those he loves."

Michael looked alarmed. "But we're talking hypothetically, right? I mean, Mel could have just… I don't know, ran off with her boyfriend and eloped or caught amnesia or something. These things happen, don't they?"

"You, my friend, have been reading far too many novels," Magnus laughed. "But, you're right. We should not jump to conclusions. What we should do is investigate and ascertain her whereabouts. I can help you with that, if you like. All I need is something that belongs to Mel."

"Are you going to do a locator spell, Ayah?" Henry asked, his eyes shining. "Can I watch?"

"It's not a secret, boy," Magnus said affectionately.

Michael agreed with Magnus' plan but immediately found a flaw: "But I haven't got anything of Mel's."

"She's living here in New York, isn't she? She may have disappeared but her belongings are still at her apartment, aren't they?" Magnus explained slowly as though talking to an idiot child. "Well, go and get something of hers and bring it back." He pointed at the door, indicating that Michael should go do it immediately.

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	19. Chapter 19

Michael obeyed Magnus' instructions and went to Mel's apartment behind the bookstore. He did not obtain permission from anyone and felt like a burglar as he traced an Open rune over her doorknob.

The apartment was cosy and a little untidy. Mel seemed to use her living room as an extension of the bookstore's office and stockroom. The bedroom was slightly neater, though there was a different kind of mess here. Clothes hung all around the room, as though put up to dry but not taken down.

Michael made his way through the room and came across Mel's dresser. Some bottles of makeup were scattered around, as were cotton balls and a hairbrush. Right in the middle, in a cleared space before the mirror, was a ring – the Carstairs family ring, with the pattern of castle turrents etched around it. Michael had seen Mel wearing this ring many times and he knew this was the object that would give Magnus the best chance of finding her.

He pocketed the ring and returned to Magnus' apartment. The warlock was waiting for him. The low table was moved from a corner over to the centre of the room. On it was placed a bowl of water. Henry was arranging the cushions in a ring around the table. The cat Purrman Meowville perched on one of them and was kneading it with his front paws.

When Michael handed over the ring, Magnus frowned. Michael was startled. "Is something wrong, Magnus?" he asked. "Won't this work? Should I have taken something else?"

Magnus continued to look serious. "Michael, where did you find this ring?"

"On Mel's dresser."

"Just on the dresser? Like she forgot to put it on?"

"I don't know," Michael replied. He recreated the scene in his mind and inspected it. "There was her makeup and stuff. It was quite messy. But the ring was in the middle of it all. I saw it immediately. The space around it was clear."

Magnus closed his eyes and sighed hard. "Henry," he called his son. "I think you should call your dad."

As Henry darted off into another room, Michael asked in alarm: "Magnus, what is it? What's wrong?"

"You know when Shadowhunters are born, protection spells are put on them to guard against demonic possession and visions," Magnus explained. "When Mel became Forsaken, she lost those protection spells. Jem had me put the spell on a jade pendant that Mel could wear to protect her in the mundane world. And I did it.

"Eight years ago, Jem came back, gave me this ring and asked me to put the protection spell on it. He then gave it to Mel. He said that he had impressed on her the importance of wearing the ring at all times. She knows it's not just a piece of jewellery but something that protects her from the more shadowy parts of the Shadow world. The fact that it was left on the dresser – or placed there, as I'm beginning to suspect – makes me think that your hunch was right; this is no ordinary absence."

"So what do we do?"

"I am going to continue with the locator spell as planned," Magnus told him. "And hope to god that I find her and am wrong about everything."

With that, the warlock yelled for Henry to hurry up or he would start the ritual without him. Magnus seated himself on the tatami mats in front of the table. Henry quickly came back and sat next to his father while Michael sat across from him.

Magnus muttered a spell and quartered the water in the bowl. He then picked up the ring and held it in both his hands. He muttered a further spell and blue sparks flashed from his hands. He held the ring out over each quadrant in turn, muttering as he did so. He did this twice but nothing seemed to happen. Finally, he stopped and the blue sparks disappeared.

Michael released the breath he didn't realise he was holding. He looked up and saw Alec leaning against a doorframe, quietly waiting for Magnus to complete the ritual.

Alec walked over and touched Magnus' shoulder. "Well Magnus, anything?"

The warlock shook his head. "Nothing," he reported, worriedly.

"What was supposed to happen?" Henry asked.

"Each quadrant represents a cardinal direction – north, south, east and west. There's supposed to be an indication if she's in a certain quadrant. But there was nothing," Magnus explained.

"What does that mean?" Michael asked.

"It means, she's either dead, or she's not in this world," the warlock stated. "And you're going to ask what I mean. Well, I mean, she could be in a different dimension, if we go by your Unseelie theory, Michael."

"What Unseelie theory?" Alec asked. Magnus gave him the summarised version. By the end, Alec was grave. "We need to speak to Jocelyn and Luke to see if Mel is really missing," he said. "They're out at the farmhouse but maybe Mel told them she was going out of town or something. If not, then we should question this Robert Lavinker and see if he is who he really says he is."

"Will you tell Jem and Tessa too?" Magnus asked.

Alec hesitated. "I'm reluctant to involve them right now. Jem has a lot on his plate, dealing with Clave politics. I would spare him this if I could," he said. Then, he looked at Michael and frowned. "Michael, I want you to go back to the Institute and get a good rest. You look like you're going to collapse. I know Sofia Bramasole has been complaining that she doesn't have enough manpower and is forced make her Shadowhunters work unreasonable hours. You need to rest. I'll handle this."

"How can I rest?" Michael protested. "I'm too worried about Mel."

"She'll be fine, Michael," Henry piped in. "Dad and Ayah can handle it."

"Et tu, Brute?" Michael grumbled. "Fine then, I'll go back to the Institute and 'get some rest'. But I expect to be woken up and informed immediately if anything happens. Ok, Alec?"

Alec assured him that he would, and Michael gave in. He did not want to but he could feel his body starting to betray him, as the effects of the long patrol, worry and this new investigation started to take their toll. He drew an Energy rune on his arm to enable him to get back to the Institute. He returned to his room just in time and crashed onto the bed, completely spent.

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	20. Chapter 20

Michael woke to a loud knocking at his door. The evening sun shone into the room, indicating that he had been asleep for hours. The knocking grew more insistent. "Ok, ok, I'm coming," he groaned and rolled out of bed.

The head of the Institute Sofia Bramasole stood outside. She looked askance at Michael's dishevelled state – he had not even changed out of his stained gear when he fell into bed – but said nothing. "Alec Lightwood is here to see you. He says it's urgent. He's waiting downstairs."

At that, Michael perked up instantly. "He's here? Did he find anything?"

"He didn't tell me anything," Sofia huffed, clearly unhappy at being left out of matters. "He ranks higher than me and didn't look like he wanted to be asked. Anyway, you just hurry up and get dressed."

Michael did so. When he got downstairs, he found Alec standing in the foyer of the Institute, looking at the carvings on the wall. "You know, I grew up here, in the Institute," Alec reminisced. "Look there," he pointed at a crude carving of a rather rude gesture. "Your father Jace carved that in a fit of rebelliousness one day. I stood guard. It's been years since I had the time to look for it again."

He turned and inspected Michael, who was dressed in a t-shirt, a leather jacket and jeans. "Put on glamour runes. We're going to see Robert Lavinker," he instructed.

"Luke and Joycelyn don't know where Mel is, then?" Michael asked as he applied runes on himself.

"No," Alec replied. "They hadn't seen her for days; they thought she had gone off with her boyfriend. Everything goes back to Lavinker. It's time we questioned him."

Robert Lavinker worked in a swanky office building in Manhattan's Civic Center. Alec strode into the building confidently. Michael followed in his wake. He seldom had the opportunity to enter the mundane world like this and an office building was an exotic place for him. He could not help but stare at the receptionists, businessmen in suits and rows and cubicles where mundanes were busy typing away at computers.

Alec led the way into a lift and up to the 23rd floor. The lift opened right in the middle of an office. Desks were scattered around the space and organised into clusters. There was just one glass cubicle at the far end, which was empty at the moment. Outside this cubicle, Robert Lavinker sat at a desk on the phone.

"You probably should make the approach, since he knows you," Alec whispered to Michael. "But carefully."

Michael nodded and stepped forward. Robert caught sight of him and held up a finger to indicate that he needed a moment to finish his phone conversation. When he was done, he stood and greeted Michael. "Hi, Michael… Herondale, am I right? Mel's friend." Then he extended his hand to Alec: "And you are?"

"Alec Lightwood," Alec replied curtly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Lightwood," Robert said. "Now, what can I do for you both?"

Alec looked to Michael, indicating that he should take the lead. "We needed to ask you some questions," Michael began. "You see, no one has seen Mel for a few days. We're getting quite worried about her. I was wondering if she's with you."

Robert frowned, his face the epitome of concern. "Mel? I saw her the other day, when I met you and we went for lunch," he replied. "Are you saying she's missing?"

"I wouldn't say she was missing; it's just that we don't know where she is."

"Isn't that the definition of missing? Anyway, you thought she would be with me, why?"

"You're the boyfriend," Michael shrugged. "With you seemed a logical place for her to be."

"It would appear so," Robert repeated. "If she's been missing for a few days now, shouldn't we call the police?"

"We were hoping she had just gone AWOL and wasn't really missing," Michael stated. "I guess we'll have to rethink battle plans now."

"Hang on a minute," Robert said. "Who's 'we'? Mel said she didn't have any family in New York. I know you're her friend, Michael, but who exactly are you, Mr Lightwood?"

"I'm a friend of Mel's father," Alec answered. "She may not have family here but she has friends. Friends who are looking out for her."

"No offence, but these friends have done a terrible job," Robert quipped.

"And we are trying to fix it," Alec retorted. "She hasn't told us much about you, Mr Lavinker. I hope you don't mind that I ask you a few more questions, just to get a sense of you."

Robert hesitated. "I thought it's the father who does the interrogations," he commented. Alec said nothing but stared him down. "Oh alright, then. I have nothing to hide. Would you both like a seat?" He opened the door to the glass cubicle and ushered them in.

As they walked in, Michael glanced down to where the overhead light cast shadows at their feet. Robert's shadow was present and intact.

"I thought this would be a bit more private," Robert said, moving to sit behind the desk. Alec and Michael settled themselves on the two chairs on the other side. "The boss' office; but he's not here now so…"

Alec nodded. "Speaking of that, what exactly is your work?"

"PA."

"Don't PAs follow their bosses around?"

"Usually. He has an event tonight and didn't need me, so here I am."

"What sort of business do you run here?"

Robert seemed surprised at the question. "You managed to track me down, I thought you would already know. It's agriculture, mainly fruit and flowers. To put it simply, we liaise with the farmers and arrange buyers for their products."

"Profitable business, is it?"

"So-so. Plant products are always in demand, especially fruit and flowers and their derivative products. It's not difficult to find sellers, but production can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially with the strange weather we've been having."

"It certainly is strange weather."

"Global warming, I guess. The scientists have been warning about it for decades but no one pays attention. They keep blaming other people instead of themselves."

"Where are you from, Mr Lavinker? Your accent is not quite American," Alec noted.

"Canada, originally. Small town in the Northwest Territory. My folks are still out there. Not really the place for making a career, I'm afraid."

"You studied with Mel in college?"

"Yes, we were both in college together. She took English and I took business administration. I met her at one of the college mixers. We hit it off and started hanging out. Then we graduated and she went home to her parents and I came here."

Robert looked like he was about to go on when someone knocked on the glass cubicle. He looked up and gestured for the person to wait. He glanced at his watch then said: "Look, I really am kind of busy, and I still don't understand why you needed to know about me in the first place. Do you have any more questions that are related to Mel?"

Michael wanted to ask more about his relationship with Mel but Alec put out a hand under the table to stop him. "No, I think we're done here. Thank you for your time, Mr Lavinker," he said, rising and offering his hand.

"I hope I managed to be of some help, Mr Lightwood," Robert answered, shaking Alec's hand. "Please let me know if I can do anything to help you find Mel. Anything at all."

Robert showed Michael and Alec to the lift and called for it. While waiting, Michael asked: "You're officially Mel's boyfriend, aren't you, Robert? I thought you'd be more worried that she's missing. Or that you'd have noticed."

"Just because I don't show it doesn't mean I'm not worried," Robert said. "In any case, Mel is an adult. She and I do not need to report our whereabouts to each other. I was due to meet her in two days' time. It isn't unusual for us to go a few days without talking. We're both busy people."

The lift dinged to announce its arrival. Robert nodded to Alec and Michael in farewell. Michael kept his eye on Robert the whole time and he thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of a not-quite-human visage. But before he could take a proper look, the lift doors closed and they began the descent.

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	21. Chapter 21

"Did you see that?" Michael demanded to Alec as the lift doors closed.

"See what?"

"I thought… Oh never mind," Michael ended feebly.

Alec turned to face him. "Michael, what did you see?" he asked sternly.

"Honestly, I don't know what I saw," Michael admitted. "It was just as the lift door was closing. You know how a glamour can waver and you catch a glimpse of what's underneath just for a second? I saw… something. I couldn't make out what it was. But it didn't seem human." Michael trailed off thoughtfully.

"If Lavinker was wearing a glamour then it's a strong one," Alec said grimly. "But my impression of him is that he's a complete mundane. Him, his job, his life. Everything about him screams mundane."

The pair went back to Luke's bookstore where they found Luke, Jocelyn, Magnus and Henry waiting. Luke looked up expectantly as Alec entered the store. His hopeful expression fell when Alec shook his head.

"Nothing. The boyfriend seems to be one big dead end," Alec reported. "Magnus, you'd notice if I didn't pick up the phone or show up for a few days, right?"

"Of course I would, dear," Magnus promptly replied.

"Lavinker didn't even notice Mel was missing," Alec said.

"Some boyfriend," Magnus huffed. "She deserves better than him."

"So he's not demon or a Fae?" Henry clarified.

"Doesn't look like it," Alec replied. "You guys had any luck here?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "We searched Mel's room. There's nothing to suggest she's been abducted or that she was planning to leave."

"Except that ring," Michael interjected.

"Probably. Nothing else was out of place, though," she said.

Alec sighed. "So we're back to square one with nothing to show from it." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I suppose I'll have to tell Jem now. We can't keep this from him and Tessa any longer." He then left the room with Magnus to contact Mel's parents. Henry trailed off after them.

Michael stayed put with his grandparents Luke and Jocelyn. He did not know what to do. He felt his old black depression washing over him and he felt like giving up.

"Michael, are you ok, honey?" Jocelyn asked, coming over to him. "I know you and Mel are close. We'll find her. I'm sure we will."

"I don't know how we're going to, Gran," Michael said flatly. "Everything we've tried turned out to be a dead end. We've got no clue where to even start looking. By the Angel, we don't even know if she's really missing."

"Chin up, kid," Luke said. "It's not time to worry. And even if we do, I'm more worried about facing Jem and Tessa. What are we gonna tell them – that we lost their only daughter?"

"Luke, that doesn't help," Jocelyn chided.

"It's true, though," Luke pointed out. "Tessa is going to kill me. She might just literally do that. You know it's going to happen. She didn't want Mel to come to New York in the first place."

"Get in line, Grampa," Michael informed him. "She'll kill me first. I'm already the one to blame for Mel being Forsaken. Tessa's never really chewed me up on that, but I bet she was just waiting for an excuse." The banter actually did help to dispel the tension a little.

When Tessa appeared through a Portal 15 minutes later, Michael was right. She was furious at Luke and at him. The two of them stood there while she yelled at them. "I entrusted Mel to you and now she's missing! What happened to 'don't worry, Tessa; we'll keep an eye on her'. She's never been to New York, she doesn't know the danger. I shouldn't have let her come. I should not have."

It felt like an eternity before Jem finally appeared. He had been in Alicante when Alec contacted him and looked extremely harried and worried. He said nothing but walked over to Tessa and embraced her. She burst into tears in his arms.

"Jem," Michael said timidly. "I'm sorry. I really am. I should have kept a closer eye on her. I…"

Jem's kindly expression felt like a knife going through him. "It's not your fault, Michael," Jem said. "You couldn't be expected to watch her all the time."

"I'm going to find her. I don't know how yet, but I will," Michael vowed.

Tessa glared at him: "No, you've done enough. You stay away."

"Tessa, what a thing to say!" Jem reproached her.

"How can you be so calm? Our daughter is missing!"

"Getting worked up never helped anyone," Jem said softly.

"Tessa's right," Michael admitted. "Some friend I am to Mel. I've screwed things up. Don't worry, I'll stay away from now on."

Without waiting for any response, Michael walked out of the store and dashed off down the street. He ran down towards the East River. When he got there, he kicked at a small tree along the bank and yelled out in frustration. He felt so helpless. He kicked the tree a few more times, ignoring the stares the mundanes were giving him.

Still feeling restless, he ran back into town, going at full speed. He relished the burn in his muscles and the pain as his lungs and heart struggled to pump enough blood and oxygen to keep up. The pain dulled the frustration. By the time he got back to the Institute, he was so worn out emotionally and physically that he could barely climb the stairs to get inside.

He pulled out his stele and drew an Energy rune on his arm. The rush of strength was intoxicating. He pulled himself to his feet and decided that he did not want to go home just yet. Instead, he made his way to Central Park.

The sun was setting and shadows were growing in the park. There were still plenty of mundanes around, walking their dogs, jogging or on their way somewhere. Michael ignored all of them. All except one – he noticed Robert Lavinker striding through the crowd.

In the half-light, he looked less human than in the light of the office building. And since Robert looked like a man who had somewhere definite to go, Michael decided to follow him.

Robert made his way over to the area where Michael and Henry had been attacked. It was a secluded area and the sound of the mundanes had completely disappeared. It felt like entering a different world. Robert headed confidently towards a thick mass of bushes and reached out his hand. The foliage parted under his touch to reveal a dark tunnel. He entered and was instantly swallowed up by darkness.

Michael darted forward and into the tunnel just as the foliage was closing. Inside, it was dark but his eyes managed to adjust. The tunnel was dry and warm, with dead leaves forming the floor. In front, the shadowy figure of Robert was moving. Michael hurried to catch up, using all of his training to stay stealthy and quiet.

The tunnel turned and twisted, sometimes going uphill, sometimes down. There were places where the tunnel forked. Darkness also shrouded the other passages. Steam rose from some, tinged with the smell of sulphur. The air was getting cooler and Michael could hear the sound of water in the distance.

Finally, the tunnel opened into an outdoor clearing. The sky was full of stars, though there seemed something odd about them that Michael could not figure out. The clearing, however, was covered in snow. Trees and bushes scattered around were frozen white, with crystals glistening off the branches. There was no one to be seen, though Michael had the feeling of being watched.

Robert did not pause in his walk but continued, following a path in the snow. Michael continued after him. The path snaked past a river whose black waters tumbled over fierce jagged rocks. By the riverbank, there were patches of greenery that included tropical plants like ferns. Steam leaked from the ground at these oases.

Eventually, the path led to another clearing, where the pale frozen trees grew in a way that created something like a cavern. White leaves overhead formed something of a canopy. Cold white light gleamed from unknown sources to illuminate the cavern. Robert went inside without hesitation.

Michael cautiously entered too. Inside, the cavern was a long hallway that branched off into rooms. One room at the far end was lit brightly with a warmer light than the others. Robert had come to this room and the shadow that was cast when he stood in the doorway was certainly not human. Michael approached this room. Peeking in, he was shocked to the core when he saw Mel inside.


	22. Chapter 22

It was most certainly Mel sitting on a plush-looking bed in the middle of that white room, but not Mel that Michael had ever seen before. She was wearing a dress that looked like it was made of spiders' webs and dew. Her black hair was unbound and tumbled down her back. But what scared him most was her expression and pose – she looked like a doll in a doll's house.

There was luxury surrounding her. A fire burned merrily at the foot of the bed, a white wooden vanity and mirror was at the side. There was food on a table – fruits, meat and bread, together with goblets and pitchers half full with a dark liquid. Everywhere there were flowers – lilies, snowdrops, crocuses, aconite and witch hazel.

Robert came and got onto the bed next to Mel. He kissed her lips and nuzzled her neck. He embraced her, his arms stroking her down the back and along her side. Mel closed her eyes and leaned in to him.

Michael watched in horror as Robert's glamour fell away. The handsome mundane face disappeared to reveal a twisted, cruel visage. His skin was dark green and his limbs were extra long and spindly. A set of dragonfly-like wings emerged from his back. He indeed was a Fae of the Unseelie court.

Mel sat without moving as Robert touched her. He caressed her face and whispered something in her ear that made her smile. However, it was an odd smile – it was like her facial muscles were operating independent of the rest of her. Though her body responded to him, her eyes were blank. Finally, Robert seemed to be done her and, with a final kiss, left the room. That was when Michael slipped in and made a beeline to Mel.

"Mel? Can you hear me?" Michael whispered. There was no response from Mel. She did not even look at him. "Mel?" He gently touched her face and she turned to look at him. "Mel, we have to get out of here. Ok? Come on, can you stand?"

She obeyed him and stood. He took her hand to lead her but it felt like directing a puppet. "Mel, please, snap out of it!" he exclaimed. "We're in danger here. We have to go. Please."

"Oh please, stay a while," Robert's leering voice sounded loudly from the doorway. Michael looked up and realised he was blocking the only exit from the room. "After all the trouble you went through to follow me, you mustn't feel like you have to rush off so soon."

Michael put himself between Mel and the Faerie. He pulled out a dagger and pointed it at him. "So, out with it then, who exactly are you and what do you want with Mel? You said she wasn't with you. I thought Faeries couldn't lie."

"Indeed, the Fair Folk don't lie," Robert answered. "If you would bring our conversation to mind, you would recall that I did not, at any time, state that Mel was not with me."

"Who are you?"

"Oh there have been many names for me. Your own poets have written about me numerous times. I am that shrewd and knavish sprite, the merry wanderer of the night. I am Hobgoblin and sweet Puck," he recited with a frenetic gleam in his eyes.

"Puck? Robin Goodfellow," Michael concluded in horror. He was a high-ranking Faerie indeed, whose notoriety was well known, even in the mundane world.

"The Shadowhunter knows his Shakespeare. Bravo!" Puck applauded.

"You said you were a PA!" Michael exclaimed incredulously.

"I am. To my master and my king, Oberon."

"Is he also your boss? At the Civic Center when we visited your office? Was any of that real?" Michael demanded.

"Oh yes. That's a real company, with real mundanes working there. But they never saw me. Or you either. All you saw of me and my 'work' there was a glamour," Puck explained. "An illusion, maybe, but not a lie."

"What do you want with Mel?"

Puck smiled a wide toothy smile. "Ah, dear sweet Melissa. She's just so beautiful to have around, don't you think? Brightens up the whole house."

"You took her because she makes a pretty decoration to your house?" Michael asked incredulously.

"Call it what you like," Puck replied. "But I adore her. She's such a lovely exquisite specimen."

"So you kidnapped her?" Michael clarified, holding his dagger out more threateningly.

"Absolutely not," Puck assured him. "Oh no, no, no. She wanted to come. Didn't you, my sweet?"

Michael turned to Mel who said in a flat voice: "Yes. You asked and I came."

Michael grabbed Mel by the arms and shook her. "Mel? Mel! Snap out of it! You don't know what you're saying." Then to Puck: "You have her under a spell. It's obvious. And you expect me to believe she came here of her own free will? Tell the truth or I swear I'll cut your throat."

"Do that and you'll have a war on your hands, little Shadowhunter," Puck warned. "The Unseelie are not part of your alliance. Remember that."

"You're right, they're not. Which means I can kill you and the Clave won't mind. Remember _that_," Michael emphasised.

"You bore me," Puck said, waving a hand languidly. "I think it's time for you to go now."

"I'm not leaving without Mel."

"Melissa, my sweet, tell the little Shadowhunter to go away," Puck instructed.

"Go away," Mel told Michael.

"You don't mean that!" Michael exclaimed. "You _can't_ mean that."

"Go away," Mel repeated.

"Mel! Snap out of it! It's me; it's Michael," he pleaded. "Remember? You have to come home now. We're all worried about you."

"But you want to stay here, don't you, my sweet?" Puck interjected.

"Yes, I want to stay here. You go away now," Mel said.

"I don't believe you," Michael insisted. "You're not yourself. He's got you under a spell."

Mel looked straight at Michael. Her eyes were so blank that Michael shuddered. "Go away," she said again.

"Mel…" Michael grabbed her hand and traced the scar on her arm – the old rune that bound them. "Entreat me not leave thee or to return from following after thee. For whither thou goest, I will go…"

Puck then seemed to appear behind Mel from out of nowhere and grabbed Michael by the back of his shirt. "You've outstayed your welcome, little Shadowhunter," he announced. With a flick of his wrist, he flung Michael away.

Michael hit the wall and fell down to the ground with a thud. Before he could recover, Puck materialised over him. "Now then, how would you like to die?" He ran his long fingers over Michael's skin. "A pity to have to damage something so pretty though. That's one thing about the Herondale brand of Shadowhunter – all of you are so good to look at. Maybe I should have you stuffed. You'd look magnificent in the hallway."

Puck was about to make another gesture with his hand when someone appeared at the doorway. A Seelie stood there, having called Puck's name loudly to attract his attention, interrupting him. Michael stared. This was the last place he expected to see a Seelie.

"What is it?" Puck snarled.

"My Lady wishes to see you," the Seelie said. She glanced at Mel and Michael, then back at Puck as though it were the most commonplace scene in the world.

"I am not at the beck and call of the Queen," Puck snapped. "And you may tell your mistress that."

"Yes, my Lady thought you might say that," the Seelie countered. "She said to remind you that since she and your Lord are entering an alliance, all his vassals are hers to command, just as her subjects are his."

Puck muttered something rebelliously under his breath. He stepped away from Michael. "This is your lucky day, Shadowhunter; you get to live. Now get out."

Michael got up and surveyed the situation. "As I said, I'm not leaving without Mel."

"Oh that same old tune again. It's getting boring!" Puck shouted. "Be silent and get out!" He flicked his wrists again and Michael was again launched into the air. Michael did not have time to even take a breath before the surroundings fell away and he was dumped on the ground outside the New York Institute.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review to let me know how you find the storychapter.**


	23. Chapter 23

Michael felt like he had been sent through a Portal. He crash landed on the sidewalk outside the New York Institute. It was day now and people walking by stared at this strange man who had seemingly fallen from the sky.

Michael felt every one of their stares and was suddenly afraid. He did not like people watching him, pointing fingers and talking about him. The fear grew into terror. The sight of the people and the sound of their voices and the traffic overwhelmed him. He needed to be alone, where it was safe and quiet.

He pushed himself off the ground and half-stumbled and half-ran into the Institute. With shaking hands, he wrenched the heavy door open. He dashed inside and slammed the door to. Then he leaned against it and slid to the ground.

"Michael?" Sofia Bramasole's voice reached him. "By the Angel, is that you?"

She knelt beside him and touched him. "Are you alright?" she asked. Michael couldn't look at her. He hugged his knees and willed her to go away.

"It's Michael! Michael's back!" Henry's excited voice echoed in the entry foyer. With it came more commotion and more people.

"What happened to you, Michael?" Alec's voice asked him.

"No," Michael whispered. "No, no, no!" His voice rose to a scream and he jumped to his feet. Blindly, he pushed through the crowd that had gathered and dashed up the stairs, through the Institute and into his room. Too many people, too many questions. He needed everything to stop.

He locked his room door and frantically searched his drawers for his bottle of Xanax. His hands shook as he unscrewed the bottle, spilling the little blue pills over the floor. Michael poured out pills onto his hand and swallowed them dry.

They were knocking on his door now; calling him to open it. He closed his eyes, gripping his chest of drawers tightly, trying to stop the shaking and the fear. His heart raced and he struggled to breathe. The room began spinning. He let go of the chest of drawers and took a step towards his bed but his legs could not support him any longer. He collapsed onto the floor and the world went black.

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><p>Michael woke up to find himself lying in his bed. The way the light was shining outside the window, casting dark shadows in the room, suggested that it was already evening. He felt like there were lead weights tied to his body and limbs. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep.<p>

"Michael?" Henry asked. "Are you awake?" He sounded sad. Michael wondered why. There was the sound of feet pattering away and the door opening and closing. Michael lay still and stared at the ceiling. Mel's situation surfaced in his mind, almost like an accusation. He felt fear emerging again as well as an odd hollow feeling in his chest when he thought about Mel.

The door reopened and Alec and Henry came in. A silhouette that looked like Magnus lingered in the doorway. Alec came right up to the bed. Michael could do no more than look up at him. "You look terrible," Alec commented. Michael closed his eyes again.

When he opened them, he saw Henry standing next to his father, holding a glass of water. "Here," Henry said, offering him the glass. Michael reached out a hand and almost dropped the glass – there was no strength in his arm.

Alec caught it in time and held it to Michael's lips. The cool liquid was soothing and helped to dispel the stale sour taste in his mouth. The older man observed him in thoughtful silence. Michael drained the water then asked: "What happened?"

Alec sat on the side of the bed. "You appeared out of nowhere, dashed into the Institute in a state of panic, ran to your room and locked the door. By the time we got in, we found you lying on the floor, unconscious. There were blue pills everywhere. Magnus managed to make you vomit up some of the drugs. We called the Silent Brothers and they said it was the overdose and physical exhaustion that made you collapse," he said. Then, in a softer voice, he asked: "Michael, were you trying to kill yourself?"

Michael sighed and closed his eyes again. He wished he could disappear and be somewhere else or someone else. "No," he answered. "I just wanted it to stop. I needed to stop thinking, stop feeling."

"Turning to drugs isn't the way," Alec said kindly. "You know that."

"It's the only thing that helped," Michael confessed. "I've tried so many things. The Xanax was the only thing that took away the feeling."

"What feeling, Michael?"

Michael hesitated. He had only ever shared this information with Mel. He did not want anyone else to think he was weak. Alec seemed to realise this and did not question him further. He turned to leave the room and motioned for Henry to do the same. The boy seemed reluctant to go. "He can stay," Michael said. "I don't mind."

Henry's face lit up, though the smile did not quite reach his eyes. The boy grabbed a chair and dragged it over to the bed; the sound grated loudly and painfully in the quiet room. He sank down into the chair and looked down at his shoes.

"What's up with you, kid?" Michael asked. "You look like a puppy that someone kicked."

"It's been a really bad week, is all."

"You're lying, Henry Lightwood"

"Dad said I'm not to tell you yet," Henry admitted. "He said not to bother you until you're feeling better."

"I let you stay, didn't I?" Michael pointed out. "Means I want your company. Come on, Henry, tell me what's eating you."

"I'm not allowed to be a Shadowhunter," the boy muttered, talking more to his tshirt than to Michael. "The Clave said I failed the tests. I can't Ascend. They want to wipe my memory and send me back to the mundane world."

"No!" Michael exclaimed. "How could they? You're a perfect candidate for Ascension. I'm sure we can find some way…"

Henry shrugged. "That's what Dad said. He, Jem and Uncle Jace submitted an appeal. Ayah looks so angry all the time. I wished you were there."

"What do you mean? I'm always here."

Henry shook his head. "You weren't here last week. Where did you go, Michael?"

"Last week? Last week, I was here, wasn't I? What are you talking about?"

"No, you disappeared six days ago and didn't come back until today," Henry informed him. "Where did you go?"

"Six days?" Michael gasped. Henry nodded. "By the Angel. I didn't realise. Time must run differently there."

"Where?"

Michael began to tell Henry everything that had happened since he left Luke's bookstore a week ago. But instead of his description of the Unseelie realm, he found himself telling a long and boring folk tale about a man who lost his donkey.

By the end, Henry was frowning in confusion. "I don't get it," he said.

"No, that's not what I meant to say." Michael tried again but this time regaled a perplexed Henry with a story about a washerwoman who was forced to chase her laundry down a river.

Michael swore loudly, causing Henry to giggle nervously. "Ok, let's try that again." But yet again, instead of the story about Mel and Puck, he told the story of a man who started a sheep farm.

"Michael, I'm not a kid, you know," Henry grumbled, clearly thinking Michael was joking with him.

But Michael was deadly serious. Something seemed to be blocking him from telling the truth about where he had been. "Henry, can you fetch Magnus, please? I think I need his help."

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><p><strong>I just started watching Once Upon A Time and realised that Henry on that show is exactly how I pictured my Henry to be, and my Puck is like Rumpelstiltskin. Entirely a coincidence! :)<strong>

**Anyway, please review! Let me know what you think of the characters. This is the first time I'm using so many original characters.**


	24. Chapter 24

Magnus swept into the room. "Henry said you wanted to see me?" he said as he entered.

Michael tried to explain that he thought he was under a spell that prevented him from speaking. Again, instead of the story he wanted to tell, he found himself telling the story of a man who collected starfish from the seaside.

"It's weird, Ayah," Henry piped in. "It happened with me too. He says he has something important to say but it turns out to be just stupid stories."

"Indeed," Magnus said thoughtfully. "How very very strange." He leaned over Michael and stared hard at him. "I see nothing now. Maybe it's activated only when you try to speak. So, go on, Michael, say something."

"I can talk normally," Michael said. "It's only when I get up and take the vampire's motorbike out for a run then I find I get in trouble with the law for…" He abruptly stopped and clamped his hands over his mouth. "Damn it!" he shouted.

"I see the problem now," Magnus announced. "You, my boy, have been enchanted. By a rather strong spell too. When you try to say what you want to say, a rose blooms at your mouth, keeping the contents secret. Sub rosa, as the Latin goes. Fae work, I take it?"

"Can you fix it?" Michael asked anxiously.

Magnus waved his hands about. Blue sparks flew from his fingers. "Try now," he suggested.

Michael did as he was told but it did not help. This time, he told Magnus about a cat who was grumpy all the time.

"I'm very sure you didn't mean to tell me about Grumpy Cat," Magnus muttered. "Let's try something else." He sent Henry out for paper and a pen and instructed Michael to write what he wanted to say.

Michael eagerly snatched the pen and wrote. But just like when he spoke, his hands moved to form different letters than he intended and the whole effect was gibberish.

"This is useless, Magnus!"

"We will figure this out," Magnus said determinedly. "Normally, I'd admire the intricacy of the spellwork, but since I'm trying to undo it… why couldn't the bloody caster have been less competent?"

After nearly an hour of trying, Michael was beyond frustrated. He could see that Magnus was also getting annoyed at the efficacy of the spell. Both of them were so disheartened that when Henry suggested that Michael turn to the Silent Brothers, neither raised any objection.

Brother Elijah arrived from the Silent City and immediately set to work on Michael. Michael already had a lot of experience with these creepy-looking monks but it still sent chills up his spine when they touched him.

"_This spell is beyond my skill to break_," Brother Elijah concluded after examining him. "_He should return to the Silence City with me. Together, the Brothers may be able to undo the enchantment_."

"Believe me, Brother, at this point, I will do anything," Michael said.

He passed Tessa and Jem in the hallway as he was leaving the Institute. Both looked very worried. Tessa didn't even look at him. Jem, however, gave him a reassuring smile. He stopped to inquire what was going on. "Do you want me to come with you to the Silent City?" he asked Michael after Brother Elijah filled him in.

Michael hesitated. In that moment of doubt, Jem nodded. "I'll come," he said. Michael smiled gratefully, relieved that he would not have to face the Brotherhood alone.

The vehicle Brother Elijah drove looked like a lovely black Chevy Impala from the outside, but was like an old-fashioned horse carriage inside. Michael and Jem climbed in and sat opposite each other.

As the carriage jolted off, Jem said casually: "It's been a long time since I'd been back to the Silent City."

"Is it like going to meet old friends again?" Michael asked.

Jem grinned. "Not really. But after a hundred years in the Brotherhood, I can't deny that it was home. It was peaceful there."

"If all the Silent Brothers were like you, then it would be easier to go there. Not so terrifying," Michael commented.

"Not necessarily. I, too, have evoked fear in Shadowhunters from time to time. When people see Silent Brothers, they usually just see the robes and not the person inside. Underneath, the Brothers are like you and I," Jem said. "They were once Shadowhunters too; don't forget that. Many of the Brothers now are people from the same generation as your mum and dad. They went through the same upbringing and circumstances."

Michael knew about the massacre in the Silent City years ago. The Brothers had been all but wiped out; the only survivors were the handful of Brothers who had not been there at the time. Since then, the Brothers had built up their numbers again, though slowly.

"You survived that killing, during the war," Michael realised. "When Valentine broke into the Silent City with that demon."

"Yes, I did," Jem said. "A warlock friend who has pre-cognizance made sure I was out of the City. She did not tell me why then. I was so angry with her because she used, shall we say, underhand methods to lure me away. But I know now that she meant well."

"I didn't know Silent Brothers made friends with Downworlders."

"They don't make a habit out of it."

"Wait, if she knew about it beforehand, why didn't she warn the Clave?"

"She has no love for the Clave. Or the Silent Brotherhood in general," Jem answered wanly. "You must have noticed that of most Downworlders. Even those who are close to us, like Magnus, Tessa and Luke, still keep an arm's length."

He paused as if to indicate that the subject was closed. Then he said: "Tessa told me that you wanted to be Mel's parabatai."

Michael was a little stunned at his directness and hesitated for a second, wondering if he was in trouble. "Yes," he said, recovering his composure. "At least, I told Mel that if things had been different, we would probably have been parabatai."

"It's a rare gift, finding one's parabatai," Jem noted. "Do you truly feel so strongly about her?"

Michael looked away. "I know that it was like I was living in a daze until I met her. It was like the whole world suddenly came into focus."

"The institution of parabatai means you can love each other but cannot be in love with each other," Jem warned.

"I know," Michael acknowledged. "Mel and I talked about that. We're too old for the ritual anyway, so it won't be a problem."

"If Mel were here, I probably would sit the both of you down to talk about this," Jem said sadly. "I wish I know where she is. It's been so long and not a single clue has been found. I'm worried about her."

"Once a man walked around the secret garden and saw a castle in the park. Inside was a golden stag with antlers larger than anything anyone had ever seen," Michael blurted out then clamped his hands over his mouth.

Jem looked curiously at him. "Is that the spell manifesting?" he asked. Michael nodded. "We were just discussing Mel," he mused thoughtfully. Then a light came to his eyes. "Michael, this last week when you disappeared, did you see her?" Michael nodded his head furiously, grateful that someone finally figured it out. "Is she alright?"

Michael shook his head. "The car was yellow that took the stage on the break time," he said. He swore again in frustration then apologised. "Sorry, Jem, I don't usually swear so much."

Jem took it in his stride. "Don't worry. I've met people who swore a lot more. So Mel's not alright. Is she hurt?"

Michael took a moment to consider this. Mel was not physically hurt but he could not say that mentally she was unscathed. But he shook his head in the end.

Jem looked more relieved. "But she didn't come back with you. Does that mean she's being held captive?"

Again, this was not an easy answer to give. Mel had not been restrained, but Michael was not sure she was not a captive. He shrugged in reply.

"Is she in danger?"

Michael threw his hands up in frustration. He simply did not know. To his mind, she was in terrible danger. Humans could not simply enter the land Under the Hill and remain safe for long. But Puck had seemed pleased that she was there and did not seem to want to hurt her. On the contrary, he seemed to treat her as a rare treasure.

"I certainly hope the Silent Brothers can lift that spell," Jem remarked tensely. Michael could not agree more.

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><p><strong>I'd like to thank the guest reviewers who have left very sweet comments. It's much appreciated. :D<strong>

**Please continue to review and let me know what you think.**


	25. Chapter 25

The Silent City was as Michael remembered. He had last been to the City in his early teens, after he had a mental breakdown following repeated panic attacks. It was not a pleasant place to be – dark, silent and solemn as a tomb. The Brothers gliding about like spectres did not help matters.

Jem confidently followed a path, his soft step making little sound in the stone hallway. He greeted a Silent Brother who approached them. "Enoch, it is good to see you again."

Brother Enoch inclined his head. "_Welcome back to the Silent City, Zachariah_," he greeted, referring to Jem by his Silent Brother name. "_And well met, Michael Herondale_. _The Brothers have gathered at the Speaking Stars. Come_."

Michael glanced at Jem who motioned for him to follow Brother Enoch. They entered the Brothers' council chamber where the Mortal Sword hung. Brother Enoch instructed Michael to stand in the middle of the circle. Jem lingered at the edges of the chamber.

"_Michael Herondale, you are here because there is a block on your mind, a spell preventing you from telling us what you know. We will attempt to undo this enchantment. It will not be an easy process_."

Michael did not know which of the Brothers said this to him but he nodded. "I understand."

The process began. Michael felt his mind suddenly battered and infiltrated by many alien presences – the Brothers entering and trying to find a way to help him. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, knowing that the more he resisted, the worse it would be for him.

Having a person dig through one's mind is not only uncomfortable but also an extremely painful process. Hot knives of pain radiated through his skull, making him feel like his head would burst. Michael endured for as long as he could before he fell to his knees, his hands gripping hard at the sides of his head, his body bowed over in pain. The chamber blurred out of focus and his vision exploded into white bursts of light and loud static. Something was choking him.

"Stop!" Jem's voice rang out over the chaos. Michael felt Jem's hands gently lifting him – he did not realise that he had fallen to the ground. The dust around him was disturbed, as though he had been rolling around in it. He coughed and pulled a rose petal from his mouth. He felt nauseous. "Michael, are you alright?" Jem asked.

Michael felt too sick to even shake his head. His face felt sticky. He weakly raised his hand to touch it and found blood where his nose had bled.

"_The process is not complete, Zachariah_," one of the Brothers said. "_You should know better than to interrupt_."

"If you continue, he will die or go insane," Jem said firmly. "I will not allow that to happen." There was a general feel of displeasure emanating from the Brothers.

"I also know that if the council takes that long to probe a mind without success, then it is unlikely that there will be a breakthrough, even if you continue," Jem added. "The spell is clearly strong. It was enough time for you to obtain the information you need to analyse the spell. We can continue this at another time. Let the boy rest."

Michael did not argue with this. As much as he wanted to continue, for Mel's sake, he knew that Jem was right; if the Brothers continued to go through his mind, he might just literally go mad. It was too overwhelming an experience.

The Brothers allowed Jem to take Michael home. They did not speak until they returned to the Institute. Jem barely even looked at Michael on the journey back, and Michael saw sorrow in the older man's eyes. When they alighted from the carriage and entered the foyer, Michael said: "Jem, I'm sorry. I know you really hoped…"

He stopped as Tessa entered. Jem gave Michael a reassuring squeeze on the arm and went over to his wife. Michael felt guilty as he saw Jem embrace Tessa. The couple clearly did not need to use words to communicate with each other. Tessa somehow knew Jem had come back disappointed and offered him comfort.

Michael quietly slipped away, not wanting to further intrude on such an intimate moment. He bumped into Sofia on the way back to his room.

"Hey, how did it go?" she asked.

"Badly," he answered. "They couldn't fix me."

Sofia made some sympathetic noises. "Look, you've been through a lot today. Go get some rest. I'll get the others to cover your patrol."

Normally Michael would have protested, not wanting to seem weak. But now it seemed like his cover had been blown and his true self was on display for everyone to see. He hated for them to see him that way, without the protective armour of his "tough guy" act. He felt dead inside and could not muster up the energy to care any more. "Ok, thanks Sofia," he said.

He got back to his room and shut the door. He slumped down to the floor and burst into tears as all the emotions he had suppressed in an effort to function normally broke free.

After he had cried himself dry, he pulled out his stele and carved two Fortitude runes and an Energy rune on his arm. He knew what he had to do. Since he was the only one who knew where Mel was, he would have to be the one to go get her back, and damn the consequences.

He grit his teeth and got ready, putting on his gear carefully. As he dressed, he not only put on the clothes but also the mindset of the most brilliant Shadowhunter of his generation. With the pieces of gear came the tactical mind that analysed his encounter, looking for weakness and ways to defeat the enemy.

As he went over the details of his encounter in Under the Hill, he realised that he had obsessed so much over what had happened to Mel that another important fact slipped his mind. The presence of the Seelie in the Unseelie realm and the casual mention of an alliance between the Lord and Lady, between the Unseelie and Seelie courts. Such an alliance would bode no good for the Shadow world.

He crossed the room to his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. He sat in thought, trying to find a way to circumvent the spell and tell Jem this crucial information. In the end, he discovered that while he could not speak directly, he could do so in the form of fables and metaphors. After the carriage ride with Jem to the Silent City, Michael was confident that Jem would be able to guess at his true meaning.

_Dear Jem,_

_I think this will be a difficult letter to write and I pray to the Angel that you will understand what I mean. _

_Once upon a time, two knights loved the same woman. The first knight kidnapped the woman from her father's house and took her far away to his own castle. The second knight found out and went after him. He challenged him to a duel, with the freedom of the woman at stake. _

_But more than that, for the second knight discovered an evil plot. There was a secret kingdom that the king did not know about. The secret kingdom was fractured into separate tribes that warred with one another. Only one tribe was loyal to the king, or so he thought._

_When the second knight went to find his love, he discovered that the first knight was a member of a tribe in this secret kingdom, though not the tribe that was loyal to the king. Little did the king know, the tribes in the secret kingdom were uniting. The lord and lady were joining forces, and resources and duties were shared, perhaps because one tribe could do what the other could not. Deception, disgrace, evil and backstabbing lie in store._

_The Shadow world is in danger, Jem. The left hand does not know what the right hand is up to, but it is a disease that will destroy the whole body. I go to slay the dragon and save the princess. It is up to you to save the world. _

_Tell Mom and Dad I love them. And Maddy too._

_May the Angel keep you._

_Michael Herondale_

Michael read through the letter several times, trying to see if he could be any clearer to make his meaning come across. If anyone could figure it out, Jem would. And Jem, with Alec backing him, had enough clout on the Council to do something about it. He chewed his pen for while then added:

_P.S. Tell the Clave for me that if they don't make Henry Lightwood a Shadowhunter, they're complete and utter certified morons._

He folded the letter and stapled it shut, as he did not have an envelope. He tucked it into a pocket then went down to the weapons room. The New York Institute's weapons room was very well stocked. There, he collected knives, crossbows and all sorts of other weapons, enough for a small armoury.

His resolve strengthened as he armed himself. This time he was going to get Mel back or die trying. He was even willing to kill Puck and risk starting a war between the Fae and the Shadowhunters. Perhaps he was going a little bit mad after all, he conceded. Storming the Unseelie realm alone was a suicide mission.

The Institute was quiet when Michael finished raiding the weapons room and made his way down. He slipped into the kitchen, which was mercifully empty, and left the letter for Jem there, stuck to the front of the fridge with a magnet.

With that done, he went to the front door. He was glad that he encountered no one for he did not want anyone to ask him what he was doing or try to stop him. He knew that if anyone challenged him, he might either cut them down or stand down himself. He touched his weapons, feeling the power in the blades and letting it strengthen him.

With a final check to make sure he had all the equipment he needed, he took a last look at the place that had been home to him for years, pulled open the front door and walked out.

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><p><strong>Hi guys, I hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you think in a review ok?<strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**Exciting chapter for you. Hope you like it. Leave a review to let me know!**

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><p>The way back Under the Hill through the shrubs in Central Park was deceptively easy. Michael did not expect so little resistance. Nevertheless, he remained on full guard. He was very aware that the likelihood of the Unseelie knowing he was already there was high.<p>

As he made his way through the tunnel, the feeling of being watched increased and sent prickles down his back. He frequently turned round to check behind him but saw nothing but shadows.

The maze that Puck had led him through before was different now. Now, it was as if he was being herded. Where there used to be forks in the tunnel, now there was just one clear path. Michael worried over where he was being led to but when he thought about it, he did not have a choice. It was either follow the path or go back.

Finally, he emerged in that strange frozen clearing. Again, there was no one to be seen. The cold winter sun shone above, giving no warmth. Michael followed the path to the river, as he remembered. The river was steaming and giving off a strong smell of sulphur.

Puck's house was still there. It stood quiet and seemingly deserted. Michael drew his sword and cautiously approached. The front door opened with the lightest of touches and he entered, the Stealth rune working to deaden any sound he might make.

Michael made a beeline for the room he saw Mel in. The bower was still there, the bed neatly made and the flowers all still fresh and blooming. But there was no Mel to be seen.

Disappointed, he methodically searched the house. There was no one there. He then went outside and made a round of the perimeter, carefully observing to check if there were any escape routes other than the front door. There was a small side entrance, though the door looked mouldy and bloated. Michael doubted if it could be relied on to open.

A noise attracted his attention. Crouching down, he crept up to see what was happening. A carriage had pulled up at the front of the house. Puck had stepped out and was helping Mel out of it. She was dressed in an exquisite gown of Faerie silk that shimmered in the sunlight. Puck sent Mel into the house but stood outside for a moment, looking around as though he suspected an intruder. After a while, he too returned to the house.

Michael took this opportunity to assess the situation and come up with a plan. If he could somehow lure Puck away from the house, he might be able to sneak in, grab Mel and flee. It was a risky plan. His other option was to also lure Puck out of the house, kill him, then go in, grab Mel and flee. That seemed safer, except that killing Puck was supposed to be the last resort, for fear of sparking off a war.

He decided to go with his first plan. He wandered back into the woods, remembering an article that Henry had eagerly made him read about trees that explode. According to that article, cold weather would cause the sap to freeze. But because sap expands when cold, it puts pressure on the tree bark and eventually snaps it apart with a sound like a gunshot.

Michael examined the trees a distance away from the house. He found a cluster of ash trees. He pulled out a knife and carefully carved a strip off the bark. Thick white sap oozed underneath. He smiled to himself at this fortuitous circumstance. He took out his stele and carved runes for cooling on several of the trees, praying hard that it would become cold enough.

Having done this, he went and hid near the front door of the house. He was on the verge of giving up when he finally heard the loud popping and snapping of the trees exploding. It gave even him a shock and it certainly worked to lure Puck out of the house and into the woods to investigate.

Michael quickly dashed in and went to Mel's room. She was there, sitting on a chair by the table. Another chair across from her indicated where Puck had just been. She was now wearing that fragile gown of spiders' webs again.

"Mel, I'm sorry but you're going to have to come with me," Michael said, rushing up to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her firmly along with him.

She made no protest and Michael got to within a few metres of the front door when Puck appeared, his large silhouette blocking the exit. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Michael did not bother to talk. He just turned and ran through the house to the other exit he had seen. But once there, his luck ran out. The door was at the back of a storage room and blocked by cabinets and sacks of stuff. There was no way he could clear a path in time.

He sensed Puck behind him and spun round. The Faerie stood in the doorway, trapping him inside. Michael cursed himself for his stupidity in not securing the door.

"Come to steal what's mine, have you?" Puck asked, his eyes glittering maliciously. "That's not very polite, little Shadowhunter."

"She was never yours to begin with," Michael protested. "Stand aside."

"Or what?" Puck challenged. Michael pulled out an iron sword. Puck mock cringed and then laughed. He reached forward, put his hand on the blade and pushed it away. "Some of us," he sneered, "might fear mountain-ash berries, running water, church bells or cold iron; but I'm Puck!"

Tree roots suddenly shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Michael's legs. Long vines knocked the sword from his grasp and wrapped around his wrist like manacles. Puck casually walked over and retrieved Mel. "I'll have this back, thank you." He stood her in the corridor and smoothed her dress and hair.

Michael did not stand idly while Puck did this. He dextrously manoeuvred a small knife from a sheath around his wrist and sliced the vines. Once his hands were free, he drew a larger dagger and hacked at the tree roots securing his legs. Then he ran to retrieve his sword.

All this was done in as fast a speed as a Shadowhunter could possibly muster. He then came up to Puck and held the sword to his throat. "Let her go," he said.

Puck twisted his body and managed to slip out of Michael's grasp. "No," he said petulantly. He flung out his hand and threw Michael away from him. Michael was prepared for this and, when he hit the wall, used it to as a springboard to leap forward and lunge at Puck.

The Faerie snarled and ducked aside. Michael's blow landed harmlessly on the wall instead. "Very well, Shadowhunter. If it's a fight you want, I'm game," Puck said.

The ground began to boil. Michael felt himself sinking at the soil beneath his feet gave way into quicksand. He leapt up onto one of the storage cabinets. Puck began tossing sacks around, trying to knock him off his perch. "Oh come, Shadowhunter, come down and stop playing hard to get."

Michael dodged every one of the projectiles Puck launched at him. He managed to catch one or two and immediately threw them back at the Faerie. But none hit home.

Tired of waiting for Michael to come down, Puck spread his dragonfly wings and fluttered up. He hovered just out of Michael's reach, taunting him all the time. Michael flung a few small daggers at him but missed as the Faerie darted away quickly.

"Think about this, Shadowhunter. What will you do after you kill me?" Puck taunted. "Do you think my king will not avenge my death? Me, who has been his loyal servant for millennia? Do you think you can defeat me, who existed long before your Angel even dreamed about Shadowhunters?"

Michael refused to allow himself to be affected by the goading. Instead, he suddenly threw himself off the cabinet and grabbed on to Puck himself. The Faerie gave an exclamation of surprise. Their combined weight was too much for the Faerie's wings and they both crashed onto the ground, which had become normal again.

Michael took the opportunity to land a few good punches. The wily Puck slipped away and shot vines at Michael again. He parried them away with his sword, hacking and cutting some to pieces. It was no more difficult than fighting a tentacled demon. "Is that all you've got, Faerie?" Michael demanded.

Puck's expression soured. He flung out his hands and released a shower of thorns at Michael. First blood was drawn as the thorns embedded themselves in Michael's exposed skin. Pinpricks of pain turned into a sea of fire coursing through his body.

Michael took his stele and drew several Healing runes on himself. He knew he wasn't supposed to do that – the thorns would remain in his body as the skin healed over them – but it was the only way he knew to try and counteract the poison.

The few seconds he took to draw the runes gave Puck an advantage. The Faerie picked up one of Michael's daggers, came up to him and pulled his head back by the hair, exposing his throat. "I could kill you right now," Puck whispered diabolically. "Where your blood falls, beautiful flowers will grow. And I shall pick them to adorn the chamber of my sweet Melissa."

The Faerie pressed the dagger into Michael's skin. Beads of blood appeared. Then he paused. "Melissa, my darling, come in here please," Puck called. Mel stepped into the room. Whispering into Michael's ear, Puck then said: "I want you to be able to look at her as you die. Die knowing that that you failed to save her."

Michael was enraged and moved to grab Puck, but the Faerie seemed to anticipate this for vines surged forward to restrain him. "Now, now, Shadowhunter, be a man. You were all prepared to kill me. Don't dish out what you cannot take yourself."

"Don't I get any last words?" Michael asked. Every movement of his throat caused the dagger to scrape his skin and draw more blood.

"No, you don't," Puck answered. "Goodbye, Michael Herondale."


	27. Chapter 27

Jem found the letter Michael left him when he went to get a drink from the kitchen. He stood at the fridge and read the letter through several times before balling it up and smashing his fist against the table in a rare fit of anger.

"What's wrong, Jem?" Tessa asked. She had come to see why he was taking so long. It shocked her to see him in such a state.

"I need to see Sofia and Alec now," Jem said. "Do you know where they are?"

"Sofia's probably in her office. I think Alec went home with Magnus and Henry," Tessa said. "Jem, what's wrong?"

"Michael Herondale. And the Unseelie," he handed the letter to Tessa. She opened it and read it through.

"I don't understand," she admitted.

"That's probably why he addressed it to me. He knew I would," Jem sighed. He took out his cellphone and dialled a number. "Alec, it's Jem. Are you at the Institute? Oh… I'm sorry to bother you but could you come back? It's urgent. New information has come to light."

"You called Alec back? Why? What is this new information?" Tessa asked.

"Tess… read the letter. Read it carefully. He's talking about an alliance between the Seelie and Unseelie," Jem informed her. "We've all worked so hard to keep the peace of the Accords, and the Fae are going to shatter it. They speak the words and make their promises but they have no intention of truly working with us."

Tessa had never seen Jem so worked up before. He had always been a calm unshakable presence. "Michael's gone to find Mel, hasn't he?" she asked, trying to change the subject away from politics. "That's what I understand from the letter."

Jem nodded. "I'm worried for him. I'm worried for Mel too. But they're both beyond the help of the Clave now. I don't know where the Unseelie court is and Michael was in no state to tell me." He pressed his hands up to his face for a moment. Tessa had long ago learnt to recognise it as a gesture to control his emotions. When he took his hands away, he seemed like his old self. "We now have to work on the information he has given us. That has to be the priority. We cannot allow the Fae to start a war."

"Why would the Fae start a war?" Sofia asked, walking into the kitchen.

Jem explained how Michael had uncovered the plot. When he got to the part where Michael had returned to the Unseelie realm to try and rescue Mel, Sofia went ballistic.

She began a long rant about how Michael was so stupid and bloody irresponsible to head off on his own without telling anyone. She could have sent someone with him for back up. She went on to assert that she was done with kids like him who just threw any sign of concern for their safety back into one's face.

She was on to how depravity, impulsivity and borderline insanity were traits of the Herondale family in general when Alec's voice was heard calling to ask where everyone was.

Alec joined them in the kitchen, listened to all that Jem had to say and read Michael's letter. As he did for Tessa, Jem had to explain the contents to Alec. But once he had done that, Alec agreed that they needed to go to Alicante and report this to the Council.

Convening a closed-door meeting of the Council was not a difficult task. They even managed to get the Downworld representatives to be present. It was a rare occasion when the Council was convened at the request of the advisers.

"Information has come to light on a grave matter," Jem began. "But before I say anything further, I would like to ask Representative Shirin Petalina: Is there anything happening Under the Hill that we should know about?"

"No. I don't know what you mean, Jem," Shiring answered quickly. "I can't think of anything in our realm that would interest the Shadowhunters."

"Perhaps you should just tell us what is going on," a Council member suggested.

"Very well," Jem obliged. "I have received news that Seelie Queen Titania and Unseelie King Oberon are forging an alliance. What say you to this, Shirin?"

"I fail to see why this concerns the Shadowhunters," Shirin replied defensively.

Jem leaned forward. "You know as well as I that the union of the Seelie and Unseelie courts have devastating consequences for the natural world. It might explain the strange weather that we were all discussing during the last Council. It also has an impact on our Accords. It was the Seelie court that took part in the Accords, not the Unseelie. What is your Queen's intention with this alliance?"

"My Queen desires only peace," Shirin said.

"Peace for whom?"

"For ourselves and our allies, of course."

"Vagueness will do you no good, Shirin," Jem said. "I ask you straight out. Is it true that the two courts are uniting? Yes or no?"

Shirin took a long time to answer. Finally, she reluctantly said: "Yes."

"Why?"

"It would strengthen our position."

"What position is that?"

"Under the Hill. A uniting of both our realms would consolidate power in the fractured land. Titania and Oberon have long been partners. The separation was just for a short moment, in the eyes of the Fair Folk. It is natural for them to unite again."

"What of the Accords? Does the Queen intend for the Seelie to stay in the Accords?" Jem asked. "Yes or no?"

"I cannot speak for the Queen."

"I beg your pardon; that is what it means to represent her on the Council, is it not?" Jem objected. "Let me put it another way: Does the Queen wish to break the Accords? Yes or no?" His voice was sharp and edged with steel.

Again, Shirin hesitated. Her pause was even longer than before.

"Keeping quiet won't make the question go away, Shirin," Jem told her coldly.

Shirin turned to the Consul. "How can you allow him to interrogate and browbeat me? Just because he knows I can tell no lies, he attempts to twist my words to suit his own agenda."

"Jem is doing no such thing," Consul Alicia Montclair ruled. "These are perfectly valid questions. You know well enough that you would not be treated so politely if others were questioning you."

Shirin's expression was black as thunder. Everyone could see that she was trying to find a way to answer the question without truly answering it. But Jem seemed to have put her in a corner by insisting on a yes/no answer. "Very well," she finally said. "Yes. The Queen would like to break the Accords."

The Council erupted into chatter. The Downworlders were especially animated as they discussed this new development. The Consul fought to regain order, shouting over the noise. It took nearly 10 minutes to settle everyone down.

Jem remained silent throughout this chaos, his lips pressed together into a thin line. "Tell me, Shirin," he said after the Council settled down. "Did the Fae ever investigate Kaelie Whitewillow's death and the attacks in Central Park on Michael Herondale and Henry Lightwood?"

Fury emanated from Shirin and she refused to answer the question.

"Did the Queen ever mean to honour the Accords?" Jem asked. "Has everything we worked for in the last 30 years been a deception?"

Shirin rose to her feet, drawing herself up to her full height. It was an impressive sight to see. "You Shadowhunters place such faith in the Accords," she said icily. "You overestimate its benefits. It is also clear that many Shadowhunters to do not believe in it. The Fair Folk do not enjoy being restrained by a set of foreign laws. The Queen has graciously given way in the past because it was of no cost to her. But now circumstances have changed. The Fair Folk will not stand to be treated as second class any longer or be subject to foreign rule."

Jem bowed his head wearily. "Is there no hope of peace? Is the Queen willing to negotiate and come to the table to talk so we can maintain peace?" he asked softly.

The sudden conciliatory tone stunned the Council. There was a long pause, during which a knock on the door made everyone jump. It was Jace Herondale. He came in and beckoned to Alec. He whispered something to Alec who turned pale.

"Alec? What's the matter?" the Consul asked.

Alec schooled his face into his usual mask of calm but his voice shook, betraying his emotion: "There's been a message from Magnus. My son, Henry, he's missing."

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know you've been wanting to know what happened Michael. Well, you'll know soon enough.<strong>

**Please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

"Goodbye, Michael Herondale," Puck sneered. He pulled Michael's head back to further stretch the skin of his throat.

Michael held his breath. So this was how he was to die – beaten down and vanquished. He swallowed, feeling the knife scrape against his skin as the throat muscles moved. He looked out at Mel. She stood motionless and displayed no emotion at all. It was like she had turned into a window shop dummy. He hated that he had not managed to save her.

He steeled himself for the final cut. He kept Mel in his sight. If he was to die, he wanted her to be the last thing he saw. He wanted to believe that somehow she was still in there, that the sight of his death might somehow reawaken her. He focused so hard on her and on this thought that he did not see the little shape that entered the doorway and lifted up a hand.

Something whizzed through the air and hit Puck. The Faerie gave a cry of surprise and pain and dropped the dagger from Michael's throat. The vines holding him also fell away as the one controlling them stopped doing so.

Michael quickly grabbed the dagger and spun around. Puck was holding his left arm and cursing loudly. A small throwing knife was lodged in his shoulder and dark blood was oozing from the wound. Michael did not stop to think but plunged the dagger into his heart. The Faerie dropped like a stone and the light disappeared from his eyes.

As Puck died, Michael saw Mel crumple onto the floor as well. "Mel!" he cried and rushed over to her.

But when he got to her, he had the biggest shock of his life. Henry Lightwood was standing next to her, throwing knives in hand. In fact, he was so shocked that he stopped in his tracks and stared, open mouthed.

"Hi Michael," Henry greeted, as though they were just in the Institute and bumped into each other in the hallway.

"Henry? What the hell are you doing here?" Michael shouted at him. "Do your parents know you're here?"

"Of course not," Henry answered indignantly. "I saw you rushing off in full battle gear and followed you. It was awesome."

"You little… idiot!" Michael sputtered. He was at a loss for words.

Henry helped him decide what to do next by looking at Mel and asking: "Is she ok?"

Michael shook off his shock and bent down to check on Mel. She was unconscious but breathing. "I guess so. She's alive, at least." He unbuttoned his gear and removed the shirt he wore underneath, draping it over Mel. "Keep her warm," he explained.

Henry had entered the storage room and was examining Puck's body. "Is he dead?" he asked.

"Yes," Michael answered. He went in and pulled the knife from Puck's shoulder. "You threw this? It was a good one."

Henry shrugged. "You taught me how," he said. He took the knife and replaced it in a sheath.

The enormity of what they had just done came crashing down on Michael. "Oh my god, we killed Puck. This is bad," he said. The Unseelie would not look favourably on this. Oberon might seek revenge for the killing of his favourite.

"No, it's not," Henry said. Michael looked quizzically at him. "After we researched the shadows thing the other day, I went and read up more on Unseelie. There was a section about Puck."

"About how malicious and tricky he is, I don't doubt," Michael quipped.

Henry shook his head. "No. It was… You know there's a story about how the Faeries came to be? Well, some of them?" he asked. "The story goes that they were once human. They were being persecuted – is that the word? Or is it prosecuted? – and so they went to live Underground. Eventually, they evolved into the Fae."

"Human changelings? Those are well documented," Michael agreed.

"Yeah, but there was this thing about Puck. There was a question about why he had so many names. Like, different folklore stories give him different names. But 'Puck' is always consistent. There's a theory," Henry's eyes gleamed excitedly at this point. "There's a theory that Puck isn't a name but a title."

"So?"

"So it means someone else can take up that title if the current Puck dies."

"I don't like the sound of that, Henry," Michael said. "What are you trying to say?"

Henry looked straight into Michael's eyes. "I'm going to stay here and become Puck."

Michael did not know a person could be hit by so many shocks in such a small space of time. "What? Absolutely not! You are not staying here. No way, Jose," he exclaimed, flailing his arms about to make his point. "Have you gone crazy, Henry? You don't choose to be a changeling!"

Henry's little face remained determined. "I won't be a changeling. Technically. Ayah always suspected there was a bit of Faerie in my blood mixed in with Shadowhunter. That's why I have the Sight."

"That's not the point!" Michael continued to rail at him. "By the Angel, Henry, if I have to knock you out and carry you back, I will. I'm not letting you become a Fae."

"It doesn't matter, Michael," Henry said. "I can't go back. They'll block my memories and send me back to the mundane world. This is best. At least there will still be a Puck, Oberon won't get angry and there won't be a war."

"How do you know Oberon won't retaliate? You think he can't tell one Puck from another?"

Henry pointed at the dead Puck. "That Puck is a different Puck from Shakespeare's time. Then it was Robin Goodfellow. Before that was someone called Jacky Rowan, and before him, Phouka. This guy is Robert Lavinker. They were different people. Now it'll be Henry Lightwood."

"Henry," Michael pleaded, squatting down to be on eye level with the boy. "Don't do this. Think of everyone who loves you back home. Think of Alec and Magnus. They'd be devastated."

"I'm sorry," Henry said. "I don't mean to hurt Dad and Ayah. Tell them that I love them. They were good to me."

"Are! Are good to you!" Michael objected. "And I won't tell them. You come back with me and tell them yourself!"

"Michael, I can't go back," Henry repeated. "This is the only way I can stay in the Shadow world. You could knock me out but then you can't carry me and Mel at the same time."

"Watch me," Michael said mutinously.

Henry looked around the room. A sack had burst open during the earlier fight and its contents spilled out. It was full of peaches. Henry picked one up and muttered quickly to himself: "Morning and evening, maids heard the goblins cry: 'Come buy our orchard fruits, come buy, come buy.'" Then, he put the peach in his mouth and bit down on it.

"No!" Michael shouted in horror. "No! Spit it out, Henry!"

But Henry shook his head again and swallowed the fruit. Michael grabbed him and shook him. But there was nothing to be done. The magic Under the Hill was such that those who ate the food of the Faerie realm would have to remain there.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me, Michael," Henry said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Go on, take Mel and go home."

"I'm going to come back for you," Michael said determinedly. "We'll find some way to get you back. Don't you dare get comfortable." He pressed his dagger into Henry's hands, the one he had used to kill Puck. "If any of the Fae try to kill you, you try to kill them right back, you hear? Even if it's Oberon himself."

Henry shrugged again. "Just get going."

With great reluctance, Michael forced himself from Henry's side and picked up Mel. He did not want to leave the boy here. But he could see no way of forcing him to return. It was true – if Henry could not be a Shadowhunter then there was nothing left for him in the world. How could he return to being a mundane after everything he had been through?

He took a long last look at the little boy – 11 years old, all long gangly limbs, messy hair and oversized sweater and jeans. Somehow in his heart, he felt rather than knew that this would be the last time he would see Henry as a little boy.

In his mind, he remembered Henry growing up. He remembered the first time he met Henry, then six years old and but acting a lot older after the violence he had experienced. Then as the boy grew, he remembered teaching the boy all the tricks of being a Shadowhunter, hanging out in Central Park, playing together in the Institute. Henry was as close to a little brother as Michael could imagine having. He stood there for a long time, imprinting Henry in his mind's eye.

"Ave atque vale, frater," Michael whispered.

"Go," Henry urged softly.

And Michael went.


	29. Chapter 29

Michael was never quite sure how he made it back to the New York Institute after leaving Henry in the Unseelie realm. He carried Mel in a fireman's lift and stumbled through the pathways, struggling to hold back his tears and stave off his exhaustion.

Just as he had encountered no one when he entered, he was similarly untouched when he left, and he emerged blinking in the evening sunlight of Central Park. From there, he continued to stumble on until he reached those familiar steps that led up to the Institute.

He had just enough strength to touch the door to make it swing open before his legs buckled and he fell to the ground in the entrance way, unable to take even one more step. No one seemed to have noticed them enter. Michael wearily dug out his cellphone and called Sofia. The head of the Institute came running, together with Jem, Tessa, Alec and Magnus.

Tessa gave a small scream when she saw Mel and dashed to her daughter's side, cradling her tightly. Jem knelt with his family and held them, tears in his eyes.

Alec, however, looked hopefully at Michael. Michael saw the unasked question in his eyes – where was Henry? He struggled to his feet, swaying as Sofia grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Alec, Magnus," Michael began, his voice shaking. "I'm sorry. Henry…"

"Where is he?" Alec asked frantically. "Is he with you?"

"He's Puck," Michael gasped with his last reserves of energy and fainted.

He woke up in his own bed in the middle of the night. He had slept for several hours, judging by the way the outside streetlights were casting shadows in his room. He felt refreshed, like this deep unbroken sleep was what his body had been craving for a long time.

He got out of bed, opened his bedroom door and wandered out. The Institute was quiet but it was a restless quiet, like the inhabitants were not asleep but keeping vigil. He made his way to the sitting room, guessing that he would find someone there.

He was right. Alec and Magnus were both sitting in chairs facing each other, in front of the electric fireplace. Magnus was holding Alec's hand and saying something in a soft soothing tone. Michael cleared his throat to get their attention.

Alec immediately jumped up. "Michael!" he exclaimed.

Magnus however, yanked him back down. "Michael, how are you feeling?" the warlock asked calmly. His calm was like that of before a storm; one wrong word and there might be an explosion.

"I'm fine. I didn't expect anyone to be up," Michael replied.

"We couldn't sleep. Not until we know what happened to Henry," Magnus explained. "You were trying to tell us when you fainted. Please, take a seat and tell us everything now." He gestured towards an armchair, which dragged itself over by magic.

Recounting the tale of how Henry decided to become a Faerie was one of the most difficult things Michael had ever done in his life. He suspected that if it weren't for Magnus holding Alec back, Henry's dad might have tried to literally kill him on the spot.

"Is it even possible for Henry to become Puck?" Michael asked Magnus after he was done.

Magnus looked weary. The four desperate days and sleepless nights he and Alec had spent looking for their son were showing on him. "I don't know," he admitted. "There have been stories. I know Henry had been asking more questions about the Fae recently. I assumed he was asking because of Robert Lavinker."

"Can we get him back?" Alec asked.

"I don't know. But I'm certainly going to try," Magnus said determinedly. He pushed himself out of his chair and strode out of the room. Alec followed him out, leaving Michael alone in the sitting room.

The short interaction left Michael exhausted and he curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace and fell asleep. But it seemed like no time at all before he found himself awoken by a soft hand on his shoulder. He forced his eyes open and saw Jem leaning over him. "Michael, why are you asleep here? I'm sure we put you to bed yesterday."

It was morning now and Michael smelt coffee coming off of Jem. "I woke up in the night and came down and talked to Alec and Magnus." He stretched and winced as his body protested against the night of sleeping on the hard floor. "How's Mel?"

"Brother Elijah has seen to her," Jem replied. "He says she's fine; whatever spell she might have been under is gone now. She's still asleep. Tessa's with her."

Michael nodded then had a sudden jolt of adrenaline when he remembered that cryptic letter he left for Jem. He began blurting out information about the Faeries' plot. Everything came out exactly as he wanted to say, now that the spell was lifted.

Jem held up a hand to stop his overexcited stream of words. "Michael, I know. I got your letter and, based on what you're telling me now, I see that guessed your meaning correctly. Thank you for your trust in me. I have brought the matter up with the Council. Now it's a waiting game to see how the Fae react. But we called them out. I'd never seen Shirin Petalina so angry before."

"I'm worried about Henry. I'm afraid the Fae might take it out on him."

"It's certainly a risk. I will do what I can on the Council to try and get Henry back. At the very least, perhaps we can persuade them from sending him back to the mundane world," Jem offered. In a less business-like voice, he asked: "Are you alright? And I don't mean just physically. How are you feeling?"

"I…" Michael stammered. As he did before, Jem filled in the blank himself and gave Michael a warm hug. Michael began shaking, though no tears came to his eyes. Jem said nothing but held him until he was still.

"Mel's upstairs," Jem told him. "You can go see her if you like. Tessa's there but I'll make sure she doesn't bite."

Michael gave a small smile and followed Jem upstairs. Mel was in one of the spare bedrooms. The drapes were drawn back and the sounds of Manhattan wafted in as a comforting background noise. A tray of pastries and a jug of coffee stood on a side table. Tessa was seated next to Mel's bed. She stood when Michael came in.

"Michael," she greeted. "How are you? Listen, I owe you an apology for yelling at you that day. I know I was wrong for telling you to stay away. You didn't mean for anything to happen to Mel. I was… I can only say that I was distraught and not myself." She held out her hand.

Michael was certainly not expecting an apology but he accepted and shook her hand. "That's alright," he said. "I'm sorry too. I should have taken better care of Mel. I should have spotted that Robert Lavinker wasn't who he seemed…"

"Oh 'should'. Someone told me once, no good sentence ever include the word 'should'," Tessa said with a smile.

Jem leaned into her, giving her a kiss on the head. "Come, let's leave these two alone for a minute."

Left alone with Mel, Michael sat on the bed and looked at her. Colour had returned to her cheeks. She looked more like herself now and less like a plastic doll. He gently stroked her face, wondering if she would wake up if he kissed her. He tried it, giving her a light kiss on the lips. Nothing happened. He laughed quietly at himself. All the stories were true, but some were definitely less true than others. He seated himself in the chair Tessa had vacated and stared at Mel until he fell asleep.

He woke a while later to voices talking. Someone had placed a pillow under his head when he had fallen asleep in the chair. He looked up and saw that Mel was awake and talking with her mother. He sat up. "Mel?" he said, not believing his eyes.

"Hey you," Mel said, reaching out a hand to him. The twinkle in her eyes as she smiled was the most perfect thing in the world to Michael.

"You're back," Michael breathed. "It's really you."

Tessa grinned and moved away from the bed to allow Michael to get up and throw his arms around Mel. All the worry and fear that he had over her suddenly melted away and he began to cry. He held on to her as though she were an anchor in the storm.

Mel rubbed his back. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," she said. "Michael, Mum told me what you did for me. What _he_ did to me that you saved me from. Thank you so much. Thanks for not giving up on me."

"Are you crazy?" Michael said indignantly. "Of course I would never give up on you. That'll be like cutting off my right hand. I love you. I know this is probably the worst timing ever, but I love you. Ever since you first walked into my life and…"

He was interrupted by Mel kissing him on the lips. "Don't talk," she whispered into his ear. Once upon a time, he had run far and fast following a kiss from her, but now, all he wanted to do was lean in, hold her so close that there was no space between them, and kiss her back. He vaguely registered the door opening and closing as Tessa and Jem discreetly left the room.

Michael climbed into the bed beside Mel and cuddled her. "I feel like I should be whispering poetry to you now," Michael commented. "But suddenly I can't remember any."

"I never liked poetry much anyway," Mel said. "Why don't you tell me a story instead? A nice one with a happy ending."

Michael thought about it for a while. Then he said: "Remember that night in Alicante, when I took you out for that horse ride?"

"Yeah. You were trying to be romantic and telling some corny story about the stars."

"Gemini. I was telling you about Gemini. I told you it represented two men fighting for the love of a woman. Then you asked me how it ended, and I said they're still at it."

"And I said that was crap."

"You did. Well, I know how it ended now. It wasn't like how I thought it was at all. Actually, the first man, who kidnapped her, didn't love her at all. He just wanted his rival not to have her. But the second knight's love was the true one. He fought his opponent and he won, and rescued his love. Gemini isn't really about two men fighting at all."

"But you said it was. This is confusing, Michael."

"Gemini is also called the Twins. It's about two people whose love is so great that it's remembered up in the stars."

"Now that is a nice romantic story, Michael Herondale," Mel said approvingly. "But you haven't finished telling the story yet. There's still some words to say. You know, the ones at the end of all stories."

"'The end'?"

"No," Mel grinned. "And they lived happily ever after."

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><p><strong>Don't go away yet! There's one more chapter to come tomorrow. In the meantime, please review!<strong>


	30. Chapter 30: Epilogue

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><p><em>Epilogue<em>

Magnus and Alec went straight to Central Park after Michael told them about Henry. They searched in vain through the shrubbery for the entrance he had described but found nothing. They spent the next few weeks searching and calling in favours but it was useless – the Fae had closed off all entrances to their realm.

It was a bad time politically. Ever since the Council meeting where Shirin Petalina had declared that the Queen wished to break the Accords, mutterings had been heard from all corners of the Downworld. Suspicions that had been long suppressed rose up, and everyone prepared for war.

There was to be a meeting of the Clave in Alicante. Despite all that the Council had done and tried to do, the Fae were adamant on leaving the Accords. This ceremony would make the unlinking official. Queen Titania herself was said to be planning to attend, together with her retinue.

The Accords Hall was full to bursting. Shadowhunters and Downworlders had shown up in force. Extra patrols were on duty to ensure skirmishes did not break out.

There was a huge commotion when the Fae contingent arrived. Not only was Titania there, but also Oberon – the seldom-seen King of the Unseelie. The two walked proudly side by side into the Hall and the crowd automatically parted for them. Fae of all shapes and sizes followed in their wake.

Among them was a Faerie of small stature, hardly bigger than an 11-year-old boy. He followed closely behind Oberon, but his eyes darted round as though searching the crowd.

Henry finally caught sight of Alec. He held his father's gaze for a few seconds then slipped away from the contingent into a side hallway. It was deserted as the ceremony was about to start in the main hall. Henry waited. Soon enough, his parents rushed up to him.

Alec grabbed him into a huge hug and held him so tightly that it was momentarily hard for Henry to breathe. "I thought we'd lost you forever!" Alec exclaimed.

"So it's true? You're now Puck?" Magnus asked cautiously, as though unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

Henry answered anyway. "Yes. I am Puck now."

"How is that possible?"

"Puck is an inherited title, Ayah. When I assumed the post, I took in all the power and memories that came with it," Henry explained. "That's why Oberon accepted me. All the abilities of Puck, but new and improved." He grinned.

"I wish you could come home with us," Alec said. "We miss you so much."

"I love you too, Dad. That's why I convinced Oberon to come today, so I could be here to say goodbye."

"Don't say that. We'll see each other again," Alec insisted.

"Time passes differently in Faerie," Henry noted. "It's been months since I went there. But it seems just a few weeks here."

"Three weeks," Magnus told him. "Can't you just… I don't know, come back at the weekends?"

Henry laughed. "It's not a job, Ayah. It's a life."

"It's not the life we would have wanted for you," Magnus said sadly. "You're our boy. You've barely even grown up."

"I've grown, Ayah. In here," Henry tapped his head. Then he looked down at himself. "It'll take a while for my body to catch up though."

Alec still held Henry's hand tightly, unwilling to let go. "Is this truly what you want?" he asked. "So much that you'd give up this world?"

Henry nodded. "You've trained me well, Dad. I can take care of myself. And I'll never forget you. Never." He gave Alec a sudden hug, much like how the little boy he once was used to jump into his father's arms for the sheer joy of being with him.

"I'll never forget you either. I will always be looking for a way to bring you back. I'm your parent. That's my job," Alec said.

"Don't," Henry replied, suddenly serious. "Don't keep waiting for me. Go adopt another little boy. You guys are awesome parents. Another kid would be privileged to have you as his Dad and Ayah."

Magnus did not reply but held out his arms to his son. Henry also came into his father's embrace. "Promise me, ok? That you'll adopt another kid?"

Magnus held his son for a very long time without speaking. At length, he let Henry go. "I love you, Henry. And I promise."

"Dad?"

"You're irreplaceable, Henry. But, ok. For you. I'll do it," Alec promised. "But don't you forget – our door will always be open to you if you want to come home."

Henry nodded. "Tell the Clave, they've got an ally in me. I'll be there, trying to convince Oberon to return to the Accords. That's my promise." He glanced up at the hallway leading to the Hall. "I gotta go. They'll wonder where I am." He gave both of them one last hug and kiss. "I love you both. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he said. "You will be too."

Alec took hold of Henry's hand. Magnus, coming up to the other side, took Henry's other hand. For a moment, it felt like they were a family again, for one last time. Hand in hand, the three of them walked slowly to the Accords Hall where the roar of the crowd could be heard. When they reached the door, they let go of one another's hands. Magnus and Alec kissed Henry, and held open the door for him.

Henry grinned at them and walked through. Alec and Magnus followed him with their eyes but he was quickly lost in the crowd. With a sigh, Magnus pulled the door shut and put his arms around Alec. They stood in each other's embrace for some time.

Magnus waved his hands around and created a Portal in the wall. He wiped Alec's tears away with one gentle hand, though fully aware that his own face was wet too. "Come on, my love. All is well," he said. "Let's go home."

**- The End -**


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